Animal shelter plans tag days, adoption event

On Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 22-23, volunteers from South Elgin's Anderson Animal Shelter will be at Geneva Commons seeking donations. Weather permitting, they will also bring some pets available for adoption. To see all pets currently available, visit petfinder.com and search for "Anderson Animal Shelter." Courtesy of Anderson Animal Shelter

On Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 22-23, volunteers from Anderson Animal Shelter will be at Geneva Commons, and other areas around the Fox Valley, seeking donations. Courtesy of Anderson Animal Shelter

You'll find more than clothes, jewelry and household items at Geneva Commons later this month.

The folks from Anderson Animal Shelter in South Elgin will be at the Randall Road outdoor mall on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 22 and 23, collecting donations to help them care for the rescues they house.

If the weather cooperates, they'll also have some of the animals available for adoption out there at the mall with them.

The volunteers like to take the opportunity to be at the mall, where there are hundreds and hundreds of shoppers each weekend, to highlight some of the animals they have for adoption, and hopefully find homes for some of them.

The fundraising event is part of the shelter's tag days, which it holds throughout the year to collect donations, and to raise awareness about the shelter, said Lisa Forret, a development assistant with the Anderson Animal Shelter.

In addition to the Geneva Commons Randall Road spot, the volunteers also will be at Advanced Auto Parts on Randall in Batavia. You may also spot them at the Blue Goose in St. Charles, the Geneva French Market, the Dundee Farmers Market and the Jewel on Summit in Elgin hoping to collect monetary donations.

Forrest said the chance to be at Geneva Commons also will give volunteers an opportunity to inform the public about the shelter.

"When we're out there, we're collecting donations from the public, and we engage them. Sometimes they'll have questions on what supplies they can donate. It's an opportunity to meet them, say thank you and tell them how they can get involved with the shelter," Forret said.

"We also often hear lots of happy stories from people who've adopted from us," she said.

To find the pets at Geneva Commons, you'll want to head to the mall's bell tower between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Library card fun: In celebration of National Library Card Month, Algonquin Commons is hosting a special event from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 15, at the Randall Road area mall.

Folks from the Huntley Area Public Library, the Algonquin Area Public Library and the Fox River Valley Public Library will be on hand to sign customers up for library cards.

You can go to the mall's courtyard, near Aeropostale, to sign up for a card, and also to enter a drawing for one of three free Kindle eReaders.

There also will be a free craft for kids.

For anyone who gets a new library card, or who bring their library card from one of those three libraries, the mall is offering discounts at various stores.

Show your card from one of the libraries, and you can get discounts throughout September on food, haircuts and other purchases at the mall.

For even more savings, you may want to head to the mall between 2 and 4 p.m. to hear from Jill Cataldo, who will talk about super couponing.

Amy Williams' column covers all the news of business along the Randall Road corridor from South Elgin to Batavia. Contact her at randallbiz@comcast.net or at (847) 894-5036.