Around Riverside in 80 Days
There are 80 days between Thanksgiving Day and Valentine’s Day, so with that in mind the Riverside Department of Parks and Recreation invites you to register for Around Riverside in 80 Days, which challenges you to get out there every day between Thanksgiving and Feb. 14 and walk, run or bike any distance to stay healthy this winter.
Track your trips on the downloadable tracker sheet and see just how far you can go in 80 days. Send your pictures and keep Parks and Rec posted on your achievements by emailing to riversidepr@riverside.il.us.
Register to participate in the fun run campaign by clicking here and receive a sweatshirt of your choice.
Animal Care League Holiday Bazaar
Shop for baked goods, holiday items, donate through the giving tree, try your luck at the online raffle and purchase apparel to support homeless pets during the Animal Care League’s Holiday Bazaar.
For the bake sale, order online at the ACL website through Sunday, Nov. 29. For bazaar shopping and the raffle, browse selected items online starting Nov. 30 through Dec. 5.
In-person shopping at the Animal Care League, 1003 Garfield St. in Oak Park, is Friday, Dec. 4 from 3 to 9 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 5 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wear your mask and be prepared to wait in line.
Pickup online bake sale, bazaar merchandise and winning raffle items at the league’s headquarters on Dec. 6 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the league’s headquarters.
Coping with COVID anxiety
As children navigate online learning during the pandemic, anxiety may manifest in many ways.
On Thursday, Dec. 3 at 7 p.m., National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) Metro Suburban invites you to join Dr. Erin Terada and Madison Hewitt, LCSW, for the virtual presentation “COVID Anxiety: Helping Your Kids Do the Impossible during Online Learning.”
They will provide an overview of anxiety related to the impact on social and academic environments, highlight the differences between normal anxiety and clinically relevant anxiety, provide parents with strategies for helping their children adapt to change and anxiety-related behavioral issues.
It also airs Sunday, Dec. 6, 1:30 p.m. Register by clikcing here.
WSSRA Celebration of Stars
Celebrate those who make the West Suburban Special Recreation Association, which provides special recreation programming for the villages of Riverside and North Riverside, hum during its Celebration of Stars virtual benefit from Monday, Nov. 30 at 9 a.m. to Friday, Dec. 18 at 6:30 p.m.
The celebration includes a Shooting Stars Silent Auction, Holiday Stars Raffle, Holiday Donations and more. View auction items, register and more by visiting the WSSRA website.
Art in a box
With the governor’s Tier 3 COVID-19 mitigations closing Riverside Arts Center’s galleries and in-person classes to the public, the organization invites you to bring art to your home in the form of a Paint Your Own Pottery box.
Choose either a platter or serving bowl and receive a box containing glaze, a palette, paintbrushes and instruction sheets — everything you’ll need to create a painted masterpiece.
Kits are $50 (non-members $55) and you can order online at the Riverside Arts Center website. RAC will arrange for delivery or pick up of your box on your specified day.
And more
• North Riverside Public Library, 2400 Desplaines Ave., is offering the following virtual programs through Facebook Live, conference calls and the teleconferencing app Zoom. Programs include Makerspace Mondays on the first and third Mondays of the month at 7 p.m. and Talented Tuesdays on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at 5:30 p.m. both via Facebook Live on North Riverside Public Library’s Facebook page; and Game Night Wednesdays every Wednesday at 7 p.m. via Zoom.
For adults, there’s the Afternoon Tea and Talk via Zoom on Nov. 28 at 1:30 p.m. RSVP to bodenl@northriversidelibrary.org or visit the library’s online calendar for adult Zoom meeting access info.
For teens, there’s Jackbox Game – Bracketeering on Nov. 28 at 3 p.m. via Zoom. Register for Zoom info on the Teen Services web page.
For kids, there are the following Zoom programs: ABCs and 123s on Mondays at 10:30, Stories and Sharing on Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m.; and Lego Builders Club on Thursdays at 3:30 p.m.
Register by calling 708-447-0869, ext. 230 or at the Youth Services web page.
• Brookfield Public Library offers virtual classes and programs for patrons of all ages throughout the week. Most youth activities will be presented live on the library’s Facebook page.
