PLUS IMERMAN ANGELS' "BLUE & WHITE" PARTY; GREEN & GOLD GALA HONORS DR. JOE; DANCING WITH CHICAGO CELEBRITIES; MOCP HONORS VICTOR; JAMES CORDEN HOSTS DISCOVERY BALL; RENT COMES TO THE ORIENTAL; BEAR TIE BALL BREAKS RECORDS; ONE HOPE UNITED HONORS MARCO; DRIVING FASHION FORWARD 2017; A "FIELD OF DREAMS" FOR GIRLS IN THE GAME; DWYANE WADE'S CELEB-FILLED FUNDRAISER; LANDMARKS ILLINOIS HONORS CIVIC LEADERS; HIDE N SEEK AT CHICAGO CHILDREN'S MUSEUM; CHICAGO LIGHTS GALA OF HOPE; UNICEF GALA AT THE GERAGHTY; WHIRL WITH THE BROOKFIELD ZOO; CAVALIA/ODYSSEO RETURNS!; RITA HAYWORTH GALA; COOL VIDEOS AND SO MUCH MORE!
Gallery Guichard hosted a knock-out opening reception for its latest exhibition, "Beauty of Diversity." Hosted by gallery owners Frances and Andre Guichard (the First Lady and Mayor of Bronzeville), the party was electric with the excitement filling every corner of the 7,000' ft. gallery
space. During the event, 18 year old musician Kopano, whose roots go back to South Africa, thrilled the crowd with her music as well as DJ Marcel Terry. Out of the Box Catering served up delicious hors d'oeuvres and event sponsor Bombay Sapphire kept the crowd fueled for fun. (Bombay Sapphire is owned by the same company that hosts the Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series across
the country and Canada that helps under-represented artists get recognized). Host Andre described the event, "Beauty of Diversity
is an example of what can be accomplished when we all come together and shine as one brilliant light! Artists from different backgrounds from around the country and Chicago are on display showcasing an exhibit of multicultural greatness!" Artists on
display included Abiola Akintola, Alpha Bruton, Marlene Campbell, Basil Watson, Lucy Silvinski, Ikonik Figure, Tony Peralta to name a few. The exhibition runs through April 30th at Gallery Guichard (436 E. 47th St.)
Imerman Angels, the world’s leading one-on-one cancer support community, presented its fifth annual Blue & White Party “Casino Royale” on the rooftop lounge at the I|O Godfrey on Thursday, March 2.
The fifth-year event welcomed over 300 guests and raised more than $55,000 to benefit its mission to provide personalized connections that enable one-on-one support for cancer fighters, survivors
and caregivers. Partygoers rolled the dice and channeled their inner secret agent at the Casino Royale themed event featuring casino games, passed appetizers and cocktails. Guests enjoyed music from DJ OuttaControl
accompanied by live violin performances by Windy Indie. The program, emceed by FOX Good Day Chicago anchor Darlene Hill, included inspiring speeches from Imerman Angels’ leaders who spoke about
the mission and its powerful impact. The organization carefully matches and individually pairs a cancer fighter, survivor or
caregiver with someone who has fought and survived the same type of cancer (a Mentor Angel). These relationships inspire hope, as well as offer the chance to ask
personal questions and receive support from someone who is uniquely familiar with the experience. The service is absolutely free and helps anyone touched by any type of
cancer, at any cancer stage level, at any age, living anywhere in the world. For more info about this much-needed non-profit, click here.
The 49th annual Shamrock Green & Gold Gala honored St. Patrick High School's longtime president Dr. Joe Schmidt with the Crystal Shamrock Award (the highest honor awarded by the school!). He was honored for his 50+ years
of service before a crowd of over 650. As you may or may not know, Dr. Joe is the sweetheart of our very own Sheryl Dyer (Van
Cleef & Arpels) and they made the cutest couple on the dance floor! He was mobbed at every turn by fans, friends and students and it made my table of FOS (Friends of Sheryl's) very, very proud! The evening, emceed by Janet Davies, began with a loaded silent auction, cocktails and
appetizers. And then, the rousing sounds of the Shannon Rovers directed guests into dinner. A national anthem was sung by Austin O'Brien (2008 alum) followed by an invocation by Brother David Galinski. Dr. Joe was presented with his beautiful award by Brother Konrad Diebold and board chair Bill McManaman. Cardinal Cupich congratulated Joe via video and noted that St. Pat's is Chicago's oldest Catholic high school.
Even His Holiness Pope Francis sent his wishes honoring Joe with a Papal Blessing! There wasn't a dry eye in the house! Guests included Tina and Luca Dyer, Duc Ho, David Nguyen, Larry Flood, Sheri and Ron Wytula, Mary Pat Burns, Tracey Tarantino DiBuono, Greg Hyder, Jim Smith, Sharyl and
Mike Mackey (a board member and alum), Irish Vice Council's Ragnar Almqvist, Paul and Katie Schmidt, Bill Schmidt and Kathy Howe, Kathy and John Buck, Betsy and Bill McManaman, Konrad Diebold, David Galinski, Gina and Jim Labuz,
Karen and Michael O'Rourke, Donna and Mike Donovan and Bridget and Steve Gaughan to name a few. And, in true Irish fashion, the dinner began with Irish sausage puffs (among other tasty treats) followed by corned beef and cabbage and Shepherd's pie. Saint
Patrick High School was founded by the Christian Brothers in 1861 as Chicago was undergoing rapid growth. It served boys from the area in which it was located, Des Plaines and Adams Streets. Later, as the city continued to grow, industry
developed around the school and students came from more outlying areas and later from the suburbs because their fathers were alumni of the school. Saint Patrick welcomes students of
all religious beliefs, varying academic abilities and diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds. It serves kids from 51 zip codes and from more than 100 different elementary schools with 4% of its students emigrating from other countries. The school currently has an enrollment of approximately 670 students! The evening was a record breaker raising over $450,000, with the paddle raise bringing in a staggering $110,000! See tribute video below and congratulations Dr. Joe! Those kids are very lucky to have you in their lives!
Arthur Murray Dance Centers presented the 12th annual Dancing with Chicago Celebrities, on March 10 at the Hilton Chicago. Nearly 600 guests enjoyed this party themed, “Rock Around the Clock,"to benefit the fight against breast cancer. Local celebrities and
corporate superstars were each paired with a professional partner from Arthur Murray. Top winners included former NFL player Jason Davis who was crowned 2017 Celebrity Superstar for his high-energy dance moves including his jaw
dropping, signature triple flip! Lee Allison (The Lee Allison Company) earned a rousing ovation and took home the title of Corporate Challenge Dance Champion. The Celebrity MVP trophy for highest
fundraising went to NBC 5 TV’s Peggy Kusinski, who dedicated her dance to her sister Patty Kusinski Smith, who died after a fearless battle with breast cancer. Peggy raised an impressive $35,000 to break the celebrity fundraising record previously held by Lou
Manfredini of WGN Radio. The Corporate Challenge MVP for raising the most funds was awarded to Lee Henderson (Ernst & Young). Other celebrity dancers included Brent Sopel (former NHL
player); Lauren Magiera (WGN TV); Sandra Torres (CBS 2); Liz Nagy (ABC 7); Jenny Milkowski (FOX 32); Anthony Ponce (Backseat Rider Podcaster); and Omar Ramos (Univision). Corporate Challenge Superstars included Dr. Regina Stein (Northwestern Memorial Hospital); Joan
Morris (The Home Depot); Dr. Nora Jaskowiak (University of Chicago Medicine); Michele Hoskins (Michele’s Foods); Katherine Hampson (UBS); and Tracey Seward (Accenture). This year’s glamorous competition was judged by Snow Urbin (finalist on FOX's "So You Think You Can Dance” and current Arthur Murray U.S. National Rhythm Champion),
Nick Kosovich (ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" professional and US and Arthur Murray champion); Jarrett Payton (WGN TV and CLTV, former NFL player and 2016 Celebrity Champion); Quinton MacAdam (Arthur Murray franchisee) and Rick Bayless (Top Chef Master and 2006 Celebrity Champion). Annually, the Dancing with Chicago
Celebrities board gives the Katrina Rodriguez Morales Memorial Award to an Arthur Murray professional who has shown exceptional commitment to the event and the fight against breast cancer. This year, the award was presented to Nick Kosovich. The event raised a record-setting $300,000 with net proceeds benefiting organizations impacting Chicago’s fight against breast cancer through preventative research and access to care: A Silver Lining Foundation, University of Chicago Cancer Research, Lurie Cancer Center and City of Hope.
Click! Click! DARKROOM, the MoCP’s annual Benefit Auction, themed Bright Light, was held on March 2 at
Venue SIX10. The evening attracted 300 guests and kicked off with an exclusive VIP champagne reception party at the Museum of Contemporary Photography. Co-chaired by Julia Langdon Antonatos and Susan O’Brien Lyons, the event honored Victor Skrebneski with the Silver Camera Award for his contributions to the medium of photography. The event raised more than $130,000 for MoCP exhibitions, public programs and community engagement initiatives. Congrats to Victor, Chicago's very own living Landmark and icon!
Big talent is coming to this year's Discovery Ball benefiting the American Cancer Society. The Late, Late Show host and Tony Award winner James Corden has been tapped to emcee and perform at this annual event on Saturday, April 22, at The Field Museum of Natural History. The black-tie evening, co-chaired by Dennis and Becky Muilenburg, begins with a reception where guests can peruse an extensive silent auction. A dinner, live auction, dessert and dancing follows. (Complimentary valet parking will be located at the south entrance of
the Museum). (This event is sold-out). For more info, click here.
The 20th anniversary of RENT comes to the Oriental Theatre for a limited one-week engagement from May 9-14. See a clip from this Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning masterpiece here and for tickets and more info,
One Hope United’s annual "Hope in Action" fundraiser will be held on April 29 at the JW Marriott. Our very own Marco Foster will be honored with the Ermit Finch Impact Award for his deep commitment to children and families. The event will also feature stand-up comedy by Saturday Night Live alumni Tim Meadows and Colin Quinn. For tickets and more info, click here.
The showroom at Autohaus on Eden will be transformed into a dynamic catwalk and fashion hub in conjunction with their 6th annual North Shore fashion event Launch 2017: Driving Fashion Forward on Sunday, April 9. The event will feature an exciting spring fashion preview (produced by ZZAZZ Productions) with a trunk show opportunity for guests to shop before and after the show. An emerging student design competition with Columbia College Chicago will be an investment in the fashion industry’s future. This year the “iconic” fashion event will benefit the charitable works of The Women’s Leadership Committee of Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center. For tickets and more info,
Girls in the Game celebrated its 22nd anniversary with a "Field of Dreams" gala on February 23. During the inspiring evening, Bridget Gainer (Cook County Commissioner-10th District), Tamar Manasseh (founder of Mothers Against Senseless Killings), Dr. Jen
Welter (first female NFL coach), Tamika Catchings (four-time Olympic gold medalist and former WNBA star) and Jas Boothe (Army Veteran and founder of Final Salute) were honored with Heart of a Champion Awards. The honorees joined current Girls in the Game participants in speaking about what makes the Heart of a Champion and the effect that sports
and teamwork have had in their lives. They were honored for the impact they have made in the four key areas of the organization’s mission: sports, health, leadership, life. The event attracted over 550 supporters to the InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile and raised $300,000 to support Girls in the Game’s year-round sports, health and leadership programming. The
Chicago-based nonprofit has changed the lives of more than 40,000 girls over its 22 years in operation and is one of the only organizations in the area and the nation dedicated to year-round, multi-sport and wellness programs for girls and young women. The organization welcomes girls of all ages, backgrounds and abilities.
Congrats to Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation on its recent blockbuster Bear Tie Ball! Founder Kathleen Casey, along with a dynamic host committee, knocked it out of the Aragon Ballroom on March 11. The event was a record-breaker in terms of attendance, nearly 750, and raised over
$665,000 for the organization. The venue was unique with it's Moorish architecture and beautiful chandeliers but wasn't easy to navigate, too many levels to find all your friends! LOL! Nonetheless, the night was inspiring, as always, and brought the crowd to tears on many occasions especially during the heartfelt speech from Becky Gadomski, who recently lost her daughter Caitrin to cancer
at age 6. I always love hearing longtime friend of Bear Necessities and Kathleen's family, Father Paul White, speak. This is the heart-wrenching invocation he offered: "We pray for all the children who face cancer, those who are battling it today and those who are in heaven, to all the moms who pray and ask you to be with
them and wonder if you are, dads that need your strength, all the grandparents that pray and wish they could trade places and all the friends that are scared. We ask you to bless all the good work the doctors, nurses and social workers and all the people who work with our children do every day giving their all. We come together to work to find a cure." Amen to that,
amen. For more info on Bear Necessities, click here.
Chicago Bull Dwyane Wade hosted a fashion show that featured designs from DSquared2's fall/winter 2017 collection. The night was a whirlwind of activity and included performance artists hanging upside down pouring champagne, delicious bites from some of the
city's hottest restaurants, auction items and pop-up shops. The Red Carpet was a killer with Dwyane and his beautiful actress/wife Gabrielle Union, Destiny's Child Michelle
Williams, Jimmy Butler, Mariel Hemingway and so many more! Check out my Chicago Tribune column on April 2nd for all the cool details and see fashion show finale here!
Landmarks Illinois celebrated its annual Legendary Landmarks celebration on March 15 at the Hilton Chicago. The night paid tribute to civic and cultural leaders who are making a mark on our city and, this year, included Fred Eychaner (civil rights and peace
activist); Richard Hunt (internationally renowned artist) and Daniel McCaffery (CEO of McCaffery Interests) who received the Corporate Landmark honor. The evening included a live auction, video
presentations and a lot of mixing and mingling. Congrats to all the honorees, including past Landmark recipient Leslie Hindman, who received a shout-out from McCaffery as being the youngest in the group during his acceptance speech! Now ya' know!
The Chicago Children's Museum (CCM) opened its doors on March 4 to more than 350 adults for the 7th annual Hide N Seek event. Recognized as one of the most popular fundraising events for young professionals in the city, the event raised more than $110,000 to support the museum’s innovative
exhibits, educational programs, and extensive community access initiatives. The Chicago Children’s Museum’s Metropolitan Board, comprised of young professionals in and around the city, organized the event and developed the "Spring Training" theme, complete with a performance of the Seventh Inning Stretch and hot dogs served by
the city’s famous Wieners Circle. Additional activities included a flip cup game sponsored by Coyote Logistics, a scotch tasting hosted by Macallan, margaritas provided by Broken English Taco Pub, a photo booth, and free give-a-ways from Rightsize Facility Performance. A DJ set
by Saam Hagshenas and live music performed by the Gold Coast All Stars Band transformed the Great Hall into a dance hall. Host Sponsor DineAmic Hospitality Group provided all of the evening’s decadent appetizers from Public House, Siena Tavern, Prime & Provisions, Bar Siena, BomboBar and Barrio.
The Chicago Lights Gala of Hope hosted its annual gala with over 600 attendees on February 24. The event supported the five programs of Chicago Lights and the Replogle Center for Counseling and Well-Being. Co-chaired by Elaine Scales and Martha Sabol, the evening featured a live auction that was emceed by
former ABC 7 Chicago news anchor Ron Magers, who participated for the 12th year in a row. The auction showcased trips to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, a European river boat cruise and tours of the Basque Country and Napa. Guests also had the chance to bid on once-in-lifetime experiences that included an afternoon with noted National Hockey League broadcaster Mike “Doc” Emrick and an all-
access weekend with Bobby Rahal at the Grand Prix finale. The gala supported the life-changing educational and social service programs of Chicago Lights, a nonprofit of the Fourth Presbyterian Church, that has served over 50,000 people since its inception. A portion of the proceeds will also benefit the Replogle Center at the Church.
The Next Generation Associate Board hosted an event to introduce an upcoming exhibition "Americans and the Holocaust" on February 4, at The Bassment (yes spelled correctly). Curator Dr. Daniel Greene led a conversation on Americans and the Holocaust, which will be the subject matter of a special exhibition opening in 2018 for the United States Holocaust
Memorial Museum's 25th anniversary (based in Washington, D.C.) The party was filled with young professionals, all with the same mission--to support the urgent work of the U.S.
Holocaust Memorial Museum, a living memorial to the Holocaust that inspires citizens and leaders worldwide to confront hatred, prevent genocide, and promote human dignity.
The Midwest Regional Office of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF will host its 10th annual Hope Gala to support UNICEF’s work for children around the world. The Hope Gala will
take place on April 29 beginning at 6:30 pm at The Geraghty. This year also marks UNICEF’s 70th anniversary of putting children first – each and every child, no matter where they live – and the anniversary will guide the overall theme of the evening. For tickets and more info, click here!
The Brookfield Zoo will celebrate 25 years of the Women's Board support of the Chicago Zoological Society's Conservation and Education Programs with a grand gala on Saturday, April 29, at the Zoo. Co-chaired by William Kunkler III and Stephanie Bryan Kangas, this event is always something special! Handlers bring out people-friendly wild animals into the event and it's an experience you will never, ever forget--all for a great cause! Proceeds will support the Chicago Zoological Society‘s award-winning conservation, education,
and animal welfare programs. For tickets and more info, click here!
Don't miss CAVALIA/ODYSSEO coming to Soldier Field's South Lot under the big top on Tuesday, April 4. The Miami Herald said, "If Walt Disney were still alive, he might create a show as magical as Odysseo. But it wouldn't be better than the wonderful world mastermind Normand Latourelle has created under his White Big Top!" I saw Cavalia when it was in Chicago the last time and I was completely entranced. This multi-sensory journey has been called the "largest touring production on earth" with 65 horses and 48 riders, acrobats, aerialists and musicians. For tickets and more info, click here!
The 30th annual Alzheimer's Association Chicago Rita Hayworth Gala returns on May 13th to the Hilton Chicago. Princess Yasmin Aga Khan, Hayworth's daughter, will return as general chair of the event that will be emceed by Jon Harris (Sr. VP ConAgra Foods). This year's theme, "The Big Picture," illustrates the more than 210,000 residents from Illinois and the 5 million Americans who are living with the disease. For tickets and more info, click here.
I hope you have enjoyed this latest edition of Candid Candace! I've been writing a blog since 2008 and, at the time, didn't even know it was called a blog! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I love writing it. I'm inspired every single day by the philanthropic community here in Chicago. And you don't have to be a Ken Griffin to have your giving count. I see ordinary people doing extraordinary things at every single event I attend. I'm so proud of this city and the small role I'm able to play in it. Keep up the great work Chicago and thanks so much for being a subscriber and for allowing me a platform to shine a light on all this goodness!
Love,
Candace
[email protected]
P.S. Great news! A blockbuster exhibition of Jurassic World is coming to the Field Museum on May 26! Read all about it here and see cool video below!
