For the fifth year in a row, it’s time to kick some ash borers.

OK, that’s a semi-inappropriate lead sentence, but it is also (hopefully) a semi-interesting invitation to a fundraiser that will help heal some of the wounds inflicted on Geneva’s parkways by the accursed Emerald Ash Borer.

You personally can be totally un-boring by enjoying an evening full of fine wine, delicious treats and a live auction at the fifth annual Wine, Cheese & Trees fundraiser from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, March 5 at the Persinger Recreation Center, 3507 Kaneville Road. The event is being hosted by the City of Geneva’s Natural Resources Committee, and your attendance will go a long way toward planting more parkway trees in downtown Geneva.

Six wines will be paired with cheese, appetizers and desserts from local merchants. The evening also will feature a silent auction, live music, a “wine wall” and live auction, which will include an instant wine cellar, a year of dry cleaning, a stay at the Seth Peterson Cottage in Wisconsin and other great prizes.

Tickets can be purchased for $30 per person or four tickets for $100 at the Geneva Wine Cellars and Tasting Room, 227 S. Third St.; Geneva Chamber of Commerce, 8 S. Third St.; or online at squareup.com/store/GenevaNRC. No city funds have been used to purchase alcohol for this event.

The NRC has pledged to use event proceeds toward a city parkway reforestation program called the Greening Geneva initiative. Like many communities in the Chicago area, Geneva lost a number of ash trees due to the Emerald Ash Borer infestation. The city has removed more than 2,700 of the 2,800 infected parkway ash trees during the past several years.

To date, the NRC has donated $20,000 to the city to purchase and plant 60 new trees in downtown Geneva. The committee is hoping to raise another $20,000 at the March 5 fundraiser.

The NRC also is looking at additional opportunities to educate the community about the importance of trees in an urban environment. To this end, committee members will be visiting Geneva schools and planting oak trees with students for future generations to enjoy.

For more information on the Wine, Cheese & Trees fundraiser, contact NRC Chairman Jay Womack at 630-299-9945 or email him at jwomack@wrdenvironmental.com. To learn more about the committee, visit the city’s website at www.geneva.il.us or the “Geneva NRC” on Facebook.

SOURCE: Geneva Natural Resources Committee news release

About the City of Geneva

Located 40 miles west of Chicago along the Fox River, Geneva is home to 21,495 residents and serves as the seat of Kane County government. Geneva’s character is found in its historic architecture, adaptive re-use of historic buildings, mature landscapes and open space with more than 700 acres of park land. With festivals and events year-round, Geneva is a place to connect with others for shopping, dining or browsing art galleries. Home to excellent schools, library and parks, Geneva continues to be one of the premier cities in the Chicago area to live, work, play and raise a family. For the latest news, visit the City’s website at www.geneva.il.us.