Holiday Party Fundraiser - Sponsor & Donor Guide

On December 4th, 2025, the Greener Grove community came together to connect, celebrate, and support a greener future. And, by all measurements, it was a Wow night to remember! 

Like all that we do here, this event started with a vision: Could we organize a really awesome, successful fundraiser while keeping sustainability front and center with every decision? 

The results: We raised over $6,700 (after expenses!), more than double our initial goal… welcomed more than 90 people to the event that evening… generated minimal waste (like less than 2lbs of food waste)... and had much fun throughout as we bid for silent auction baskets, talked sustainability, and enjoyed the great music.  

Greener Grove Holiday Party Fundraiser Donor Guide

Here is a list of all the businesses that donated services, experiences, and products for the event and the silent auction baskets. As you shop for gifts throughout the year, we encourage you to take a look at their offerings - and be sure to thank them for their generosity in supporting GG!

Business Name	What They Do
Alter Brewing	Local brewery and taproom; a great place to host events too!
Anderson’s Bookshop	This independent bookstore opened in downtown DG in 1980, though the bookstore had its beginnings in 1875!
Angelo’s Pizza	This pizza place has been part of the downtown DG community since 1959.
Belmont Golf Club	The first 18-hole course in the U.S. was founded in 1859. Now a 9-hole course, it is part of the DG Park District.
Borrow the Bash	Borrow the Bash makes it easy to host a party without all the trash. Borrow their reusable dishes, napkins, and utensils, and don’t worry about doing the dishes. They take care of it!
Cadence Kitchen	This restaurant and bar has a well-rounded menu that includes burgers, chicken, seafood, as well as gluten-free and vegetarian options. Also hosts events.
Carnivore & the Queen	A local supper club with an ever-changing menu.
Cellar Door	Stop by to enjoy a glass of wine and a bite to eat at this wine bar and bistro, or make a purchase to-go from their extensive collection.
CFO Beauty	Hairstylist and makeup artist based in Downers Grove. Book an appointment for a special occasion or a bit of self care.
Clearly Reformer Pilates	Choose from a variety of pilates classes offered in their Downers Grove or other suburban locations.
Custom Edge Sharpening	Precision knife and tool sharpening services for kitchen, lawn, and yard tools.
Lyman Woods Nature Center and Preserve - Downers Grove Park District	Get outside with a walk through Lyman Woods! Be sure to check out upcoming classes and events as well.
Duggan Sisters	All-natural personal care products, including deodorant and bug spray. Online orders only.
Eco & Flamingo - Chicago	A zero-waste store and cafe in Chicago.
Entourage	A menu that celebrates modern American cuisine while introducing global influences.
Fran Jones with Pampered Chef	Kitchen cooking and baking essentials, as well as mixes, seasoning blends and other items to round out your kitchen and pantry.
Fern	A local plant shop specializing in indoor plants, recycled glass terrariums and unique vintage finds.
Gia Mia - Downers Grove	An Italian restaurant featuring a menu focused on  farm-to-fork food concepts and includes wood-fired pizzas, fresh pasta and hand-made mozzarella.
Greenstar Paperie	A modern paper goods store offering personalized stationary and cards, calendars, journals, gifts, and other items.
Honey Bee Gardens	Take a field trip, plan your next celebration, or stop by to pick up some of their honey and other farmstand products at this Downers Grove farm. (Check their website first for hours - they are closed in winter and re-open in May.)
Jae Cross, Songwriter	Downers Grove-based songwriter - visit her website to learn more and check out her album release show on January 16, 2026 at Ballydoyle’s.
Jeff’s Bagel Run	Grab bagels and coffee to go - and check out their “bagel of the day” option, too.
Julie Companey, Mary Kay Consultant	An array of skincare and make-up options to choose from based on your skin type, age-specific needs, and the season.
Kitschy Style	An experienced vintage reseller, specializing in unique, curated finds in women's fashion and home decor. Check out their booth at True North in Morris, IL.
LMK Studios	Have you always wanted to learn to play the piano - or pick up where you left off years ago? Here’s your chance! Also hosts a monthly open mic session - visit her website to learn more.
Louise Kelly	Local musician, songwriter and educator, visit her website to learn more and for upcoming performances.
MAKEart Studios	Art classes and workshops for kids and adults. Be sure to check out the No Pressure Watercolor class: a “Monthly Watercolor Meetup for adults looking to be more creative, pick up a skill, or just keep their hands busy while socializing with other creative adults.”
Maximum Printing	Celebrating its 20th anniversary here in DG, they offer print services, tradeshow and event marketing materials, banners, yard signs, apparel… their on-staff graphic designers help turn your vision into reality.
Morton Arboretum	A world-renowned tree-focused botanical garden and research center is located on 1700 acres. Explore the Arboretum and take advantage of its many classes, events, and other offerings. Visit their website to learn more and become a member.
Oberweis Ice Cream and Dairy	Started in 1927 as a dairy, the first ice cream store opened in 1951 in Aurora. Stop in at the DG location to enjoy a treat or pick up a carton or two of their ice cream to take home.
Orange & Brew	Stop in to have a beer and hang out with friends at this local bottle shop and tap room.
Peets Coffee - Downers Grove	The great location and vibe of Peets in downtown DG is a great place to connect with friends and family over a cup of coffee or to use as a “work from home” location.
PGA Tour Superstore - Downers Grove	This store is a golf-lovers dream: It offers clubs, gear, apparel, as well as classes. Their professional club fitters will know exactly the steps to take to get you into the perfect clubs for your swing.
Pierce Tavern	Opened in 2018, this restaurant offers small plates, burgers, sandwiches, pizzas and other dishes along with a craft cocktail, beer and wine menu.
Resale Connection	Established over 40 years ago, this 5,000 sq. ft. store offers an ever-changing assortment of furniture, jewelry, antiques, and collectibles.
Simply Beautiful Day Spa	This full service day spa offers an array of services to choose from whether you are going solo or with friends.
Skeleton Key Brewery	Established in 2016, Skeleton Key Brewery is a family-owned and -operated microbrewery and taproom located in Woodridge.
Spenga - Downers Grove	Combining spin, strength training, and yoga workouts, Spenga delivers a cardio workout, strength training, and flexibility in every group training session. Visit their website to learn more about their approach and classes.
Stella and Sol Studios	This small batch candle workshop creates candles that are made with soy wax and are non-toxic. Check out their Etsy shop for current offerings.
Karen Bridges with Tastefully Simple	Tastefully Simple spices, sauces and meal solutions can save you time in delivering delicious meals, snacks and beverages for meal time or parties.
The Electric Home Company	This company’s vision is to “create healthy, efficient, and sustainable living spaces for our clients, through eco-friendly technology, homeowner education and a supportive network of industry professionals.” Visit their website to see their 3-step process.
This is Feeling Photography	Focused on documenting weddings and families in a way that makes each session unique to the couple and family.
Tivoli Classic Cinemas	The Tivoli opened on Christmas Day 1928 and was the second theatre in the U.S to be designed and built for talking movies. Before the movie starts on Friday nights, enjoy the musical program played on the Wurlitzer Pipe Organ.

Students Engage with Environmental Activities at DGS "Sustainapalooza"

written by Michelle Sayre

Students engage with environmental activies at DGS "Sustainapalooza" on October 16, 2025

This past October, Greener Grove had the opportunity to partner with Downers Grove South Science Teacher, Chris Gales, staff from the Village of Downers Grove, and volunteers from SCARCE, to put on an in-school field trip all about sustainability. Coined “Sustainapalooza” by Mr. Gales, we planned a full lineup of hands-on activities and experiences that helped students learn about environmentally-sustainable choices they can make now, and in the future, to reduce their ecological footprint.

The students came to the field trip with their carbon footprint already calculated, noting how many Earths it would take to sustain the population if everyone lived like them. It was eye-opening to see that it would take as many as 5 - 7 planet Earths if everyone had the same habits as they did. If you’d like to find out your own ecological footprint, this is the calculator we used: https://www.footprintcalculator.org/home/en

Greener Grove member and former DGN Science Teacher, Steve Ruffolo, spoke about what goes into an ecological footprint. While right now students’ parents make many of the decisions that impact their footprint most, such as the size of their home, how it is heated and cooled, what kind of transportation they use, etc., Mr. Ruffolo empowered students to think about the choices they can make now and when they graduate and start making these bigger decisions on their own.

Village Environmental Sustainability Coordinator, Jason Michnick, talked about the community’s ecological footprint, and how the village is taking steps to mitigate climate risk and reduce carbon emissions. The biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Downers Grove is from buildings. Transportation is also a large source due to Downers Grove being a place where a lot of people commute from and to. The village’s goal is to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50% of what it was in 2019 by 2030. We have to reduce by about 40% more to hit this goal.

One stat shared by Mr. Michnick, that was hard for everyone to believe, was that the average annual carbon footprint for smart phone daily usage is 63kg of CO2-equivalent. This equates to driving a car approximately 155 miles. And, that assumes only 1 hour of daily use. The students’ eyes went wide, calculating how many hours they spend on their phones per day.

Despite some of the staggering statistics, the day was built to uplift and foster hope through action. Students split into small groups and walked around to different stations to learn about sustainable activities. 

At the SCARCE station, volunteer Emily King, taught students all about reuse and repair while they helped to remove papers from old, broken crayons and sort them by colors. SCARCE melts the crayons down to create new super crayons for students with special needs. To learn more about SCARCE and the Super Crayons, visit https://www.scarce.org/super-crayons/

Students learned about water conservation and the impact of stormwater runoff from Village Stormwater Admin, Julie Lomax. A hands-on water table demonstration illustrated the importance of having permeable surfaces in our village.

Carol Richart, a Greener Grove Compost Coach, was on-hand to show students how composting happens at home. From saving your fruit and veggie scraps, egg shells, and coffee grounds, to layering the compost with browns and greens, students got to help start and learn how to maintain an at-home compost bin. If you’d like to know more about composting or want a compost coach to help you get started, visit https://www.greenergrove.org/composting

A station about activism and advocacy, run by Greener Grove co-founder and board member, Louise Kelly, featured the last words of conservationist and scientist, Jane Goodall. Students watched a clip from the new Netflix special “Famous Last Words: Dr. Jane Goodall” and had a round-table discussion about the impact one person can have on nature and humanity.  

Plastic Reduction was the focus of another station, led by Greener Grove board member, Michelle Sayre. Plastic is harmful to the environment and our bodies, and using plastic creates demand for more plastic to be made. The students learned about current legislation in our state that aims to reduce plastic, and saw some plastic-free swaps they could make in their daily lives, from food storage, to beauty products, to household items.

Greg Soltwisch, Village Forester, showed students how the Village tracks all 23,300 of our parkway trees in a database (available online here) with information about each tree, how he identifies different health issues in trees (e.g. fungus growing on a tree is a sign of internal rot), and demonstrated how his climbing gear works when he prunes trees.

The event culminated outside, in nature, circled up on a grassy area. Here, Jason Michnick, presented “A Greener Way Pledge.” An important companion to our Village Sustainability Plan, A Greener Way Pledge is a list of actions residents can take to make an impact on our environment on an individual level. Informed by the day’s presentations and breakout stations, students had lots of great ideas about what they could do to lessen their carbon footprint, and a spirit of involvement and wanting to make a difference. It was a great event we hope will become an annual, inspirational tradition at the high schools in Downers Grove.

Watch a video recap of Sustainapalooza on the Downers Grove Village Youtube here.

October Meeting Recap: Waste-Less Holidays & Winter Prep

written by Yvonne Malone

The last monthly meeting of 2025 featured speakers from Greener Grove’s Communications team - Michelle Sayre, Louise Kelly, Yvonne Malone, and Julie Companey. The conversational tone of the evening also brought in additional insights from others in attendance!  

Waste-Less Holidays - Key Takeaways

In their presentation “Waste-Less Holidays” Michelle and Louise highlighted some sobering stats about how wasteful holidays have become:

• During the holidays, the amount of trash the average American produces rises from 5 pounds to 6.25 pounds per person per day. 

• With a population of 330 million people, that means 2,887,500,000 more pounds of garbage are generated per week during the holidays relative to the rest of the year.

Then, offered practical solutions for how to reduce waste going forward… 

Halloween

Halloween kicks off the fall and winter holiday season with parties and celebrations at school, home and shopping districts. Michelle shared ideas for making Halloween more sustainable, read her tips in the blog article "Halloween can be spooky for the planet. It doesn’t have to be!” here. 

After Halloween…

• Compost your pumpkin at the Pumpkin Smash on Saturday, November 9th, at Downers Grove North High School from 9am - 12pm. More details here.

• Donate any unopened, leftover candy to local food pantries like Peoples Resource Center; organizations like Soldiers’ Angels Treats for Troops; or nursing/ retirement homes. It's always best to check the organization’s website or call before dropping off to confirm they are accepting candy donations and, if so, if there are any restrictions.

  
  

Sustainable Meals

It is estimated that 316 million pounds of food will be wasted on Thanksgiving alone. Recalling our June Meeting on Sustainable Food, here are some of the tips we learned to make your holiday meals more sustainable:

• Source ingredients locally: Choose foods that are in-season and locally sourced. 

• Add more plant-based dishes: Plant-based foods have a smaller ecological footprint than animal-based foods.

• Food Prep Realistically: Be sure to have an accurate guest count and prepare realistic portions instead of an overabundance of food.

• Save your leftovers: Have reusable containers on hand for guests to take home leftovers. Or reinvent your leftovers into a new meal. Compost or freeze what you can’t finish.

Party Waste

With all the holiday parties, many turn to disposable tableware. Americans throw away 64 billion single-use cups and plates a year, with heavy use at the holidays. For your next party, opt to cut down on the waste: 

• Use reusable dishes

• Borrow items

• Get creative: Make your own party hats or crowns, bunting, banners, centerpieces and more from materials around the house and yard!

  
  

Real Trees vs Artificial Trees

According to the Nature Conservancy REAL trees are better for the environment. Why real trees?

• Eliminate carbon rather than produce it in manufacturing and shipping 

• Christmas tree farms and cutting your own (responsibly and thoughtfully) out in nature both support healthy forests. 

• Out of the 350-500 million growing on tree farms across the U.S., only 30 million trees are harvested for Christmas each year.

• Proper and sustainable disposal is also a great way to give the tree back to nature! While artificial trees fill up landfills.

One attendee mentioned that the Clarendon Hills Lions Club sources trees from farms within 100 miles. Check out their events calendar here to see when trees go on sale. 

Holiday Lights

Holiday lights consume enough energy to power 400,000 homes for a year. 

• Go Solar or LED! 

• Recycle your old holiday lights! Check the Village of Downers Grove website for dates and locations.

Sustainable Gift Ideas

Returns are responsible for 5 billion pounds of landfill waste and 15 million tons of carbon emissions per year. First, consider before purchasing; then, consider sustainable gift ideas like:

Wrapping Paper, Ribbons & Bows

Most wrapping paper is not recyclable. If the paper has glitter, is glossy or varnished in any way, it isn’t recyclable. In fact, 2.3 million pounds of wrapping paper ends up in landfills each year in the US alone.

• Rethink Your Giftwrap! Package items in reusable gift bags, re-use paper grocery bags or newspaper as wrapping paper, wrap gifts in cloth or scarves using the Furoshiki method, buy compostable gift wrap and biodegradable washi tape or elmer’s glue, which  is biodegradable.

• Reuse & Upcycle! Replace plastic bows and curling ribbons with cotton twine or other natural materials like cinnamon sticks, dried oranges, rosemary or evergreen sprigs, pine cones, etc. Looks beautiful and can go in the compost when you’re done.

  
  

Winter Prep 

In her presentation “Winter Prep,” Yvonne offered tips for getting ready for the season ahead by taking a more environmentally conscious approach focused on reducing energy consumption and caring for the environment. 

 Yvonne Malone presents "Winter Prep" at Greener Grove meeting: Lincoln Center, Oct. 28, 2025

Winter Prep - Inside the Home

With heating costs projected to rise this year, take steps to improve heating efficiency and reduce heating costs…

• Seal up air leaks around doors and windows with weatherstripping & caulking

• Switch ceiling fans to “winter mode” - fans should spin clockwise to move warm air down into a room

• Close fireplace damper when not in use

• Make sure there is good airflow around furniture

• Schedule annual furnace preventative maintenance and change air filter 

• Take window air conditioning units out & store for winter

• Consider an energy audit - See our February 2025 meeting recap here

• Adjust thermostats based on time of day and whether anyone is home 

  • The Department of Energy estimates that lowering your thermostat 7-10 degrees for 8 hours/day can save up to 10% a year on heating costs

  • For each degree you lower your thermostat in the winter, you can save an average of 1-3% on your heating bill.

• Switch to a smart thermostat

• Unplug unused appliances and electronics

• Larger projects - insulate pipes, add insulation to attic

Winter Prep - Outside the Home

Get ready for winter - wind, snow, ice, sleet, subzero to balmy - by starting with Fall.

Yard & Garden Clean-Up

• Mulch leaves rather than bagging. 

• Know your plants when it comes to cutting plants back or leaving them be. For native plants, leaving things be provides:

  • A place for beneficial insects to overwinter

  • Food for birds and other wildlife throughout winter

  • Layer of insulation which protects plants and roots from freezing temps

  • Nutrients for the soil as leaves and other plant material decompose

• Decide whether to continue your composting based on the type of outdoor composting setup you have and accessibility or look at other options for winter:

  • Indoor options - worm bins, freezing, Mill “food recycler”, or Waste Not (now operating in DG)

• Remove invasive species like buckthorn and honeysuckle - see “Take Action” section below for videos on identifying and removing these invasives. 

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Keep Sidewalks & Driveways Safe

Keep driveways and sidewalks safe while considering the environment. Salt is increasing in our waterways and drinking water. Follow the Salt Smart Collaborative’s 4 steps to be Salt Smart:

Outside Lighting

With days getting shorter, outside lights are often on far longer than in summer months. This impacts wildlife and increases energy consumption. Follow DarkSky’s Five Principles for Responsible Outdoor Lighting:

Take Action

1. Keep pumpkins out of landfills: Participate in the Pumpkin Smash Saturday, Nov. 9th, at Downers Grove North High School from 9am - 12pm. More details here.

2. Donate leftover candy to a local food pantry or organization.

3. Take a more eco-friendly approach to the winter season ahead by leaning into the tips above. Dig a bit deeper to learn more by checking out these resources:

4. Citizens Utility Board  - home heating tips, energy audits, going electric, etc.

5. Constellation - home heating tips

6. DarkSky International - best practices for minimizing light pollution to protect wildlife and human health; conserve energy; etc.

7. Extension offices, arboretums and plant nurseries for plant care information; also check out these videos regarding removing buckthorn and honeysuckle in winter

8. Keep Warm Illinois - a collaboration between various Illinois state agencies focused on how to keep warm in winter and resources to tap into

9. Local utilities ComEd and Nicor for resources aimed at reducing energy consumption

10. SaltSmart.org - Best practices for minimizing salt usage during winter

11. The Conservation Foundation and its Winter Chloride Watchers program

12. Village of Downers Grove Website - Guidelines for residential sidewalks and driveways

Greener Grove Blog - including February 2025 “Meeting Recap: Going Electric”