People interested in bolstering Geneva’s downtown urban tree canopy are invited out for a night of fine wine, delicious treats and live auction to raise money toward the cause.

The seventh annual Wine, Cheese & Trees fundraiser will take place from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24 at the Persinger Recreation Center, 3507 Kaneville Road. The event is being hosted by the City of Geneva’s Natural Resources Committee (NRC).

Six wines will be paired with cheese, appetizers and desserts from local merchants. The evening also will feature live music, a silent auction, drawings, a “wine wall” and live auction. Some of the live auction items up for bid include a seven-night stay in Bonita Springs, Fla.; a sports package of Chicago Bears and White Sox tickets; an instant wine cellar; a wine tasting for eight from Bright Angel Winery at Geneva Wine Cellars; a weekend 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 Geneva Wine Cellars and Tasting Room, 227 S. Third St.; Geneva Chamber of Commerce, 8 S. Third St.; or online. 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.

To date, the NRC has funded the planting of nearly 120 trees in downtown Geneva, City Hall and at each of the schools in Geneva Community Unit School District 304. The committee is hoping to raise another $20,000 at the Feb.  24 event.

For more information about Wine, Cheese & Trees, contact NRC Chairman Jay Womack at 630-299-9945 or via email. To learn more about the committee, visit the City’s website or the “Geneva NRC” on Facebook.