A group of Chicago firefighters and police officers, as well as representatives from the New York Fire Department and numerous combat veterans will gather to honor 12 members of Our Lady of Guadalupe parish who were killed while serving their country in Vietnam at 10 a.m. Friday at Chicago Firehouse Station 46, 3027 E. 93rd St., Chicago. They also will present two 9/11 combat flags to the principals of Our Lady of Guadalupe Grade School and High School.

The city of Chicago Heights offers a Veterans Day Morning of Reflection event at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the Chicago Heights Park District Recreation Center, 1400 Chicago Road. More information is at 708-755-3122.

The New Lenox Fire Protection District is collecting items for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve's Toys for Tots program. People can drop off new, unwrapped toys at each of the district's four fire stations through Dec. 9. All toys collected will be delivered to New Lenox Township and Silver Cross Hospital for distribution to children in need. Station locations are at http://www.nlfire.com.

Longtime Chicago journalist Maudlyne Ihejirika will share her family's tale of escaping the Nigerian-Biafran War and arriving in America as refugees in 1969 at a program at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Park Forest Public Library, 400 Lakewood Blvd. The event will be hosted by NBC journalist Pam Oliver and also include the heroine of the story, Ihejirka's 89-year-old mother, Angelina. Copies of Ihejirika's book, “Escape from Nigeria,” will be on sale. More information is at www.pfpl.org.

— Staff report