Winner of Ales for Tails contest gets pet photo on beer can; Mays Music Center hosting free Back 2 School Bash; Metea and Neuqua HS students win science

Pets Clinic

Pet owners can submit a photo of their cats or dogs through Friday, Aug. 18, for a chance to have their pet featured on a beer can in the second annual Spay Illinois Ales for Tails Contest.

Owners need to submit a photo and describe why their cat or dog deserves to win. A $10 entry donation with each nomination will go towards life-saving programs provided by Spay Illinois Pet Well Clinics, organizers said.

Online voting will take place from Aug. 19 to Sept. 17, and six finalists will be chosen based on the number of votes. The finalists will each receive a $100 gift certificate for services at Spay Illinois Pet Well Clinics and prizes from Miskatonic Brewery, with locations in Naperville and Darien.

The grand prize-winning dog and cat will be announced in October and will be featured on the labels of Miskatonic ales.

The contest is sponsored by Spay Illinois Pet Well Clinics in Lisle.

For more details, go to www.gogophotocontest.com/alesfortailscontest.

The Mays Music Center of Excellence, a nonprofit group that offers affordable and diverse music programs, is hosting its first Back 2 School Bash and Giveaway at 2 pm Sunday, Aug. 13, at the Alive Center, 500 W. 5th Ave., Naperville.

The event will include free food and haircuts, music and bookbag giveaways for all ages, organizers said.

The goal is to provide 100 bookbags to distribute during the event.

The organization is seeking corporate sponsors and donations. Residents or businesses can make monetary donations that will be used to purchase school supplies.

To register for the event, go to www.maysmusic.org. To donate to the event, go to www.maysmusic.org/donate.

A group of ninth-grade students from Metea Valley and Neuqua Valley high schools won the US Army Educational Outreach Program’s 21st annual eCYBERMISSION National Judging and Educational Event in Maryland.

The team, Urica, was judged by a panel of senior scientists and engineers from the Department of Defense and the National Science Teaching Association.

Urica’s project sought to develop a preventative solution for hyperuricemia, which is an elevated uric acid in the blood, by using plants with beneficial properties.

They created a product to prevent uric acid buildup that is safe to consume, effective, natural and affordable, according to a news release announcing their accomplishments.

The Urica team is composed of Nidhi Sagaram, Samil Sharma and Viraj Vyas and led by team advisor Bhavna Sharma. Each student won $10,000 in US savings bonds.

Nominations are due Aug. 31 for this year’s Senior of the Year award.

The Naperville Senior Task Force will be recognizing two seniors with the Senior of the Year award for their community service.

Residents can nominate a special senior who must be a Naperville resident, 65 or older who gives back to their community. Newspaper articles, letters of support or other documentation can be included with the nomination form.

Major Scott Wehrli will recognize the recipients, which will be one man and one woman, at the Oct. 17 Naperville City Council meeting.

Nomination forms can be found at www.naperville.il.us/seniortaskforce and returned by email to [email protected] or mail to John Gallagher, 23W271 Creek Court, Naperville, 60540.

For questions, call 630-362-5105.