Fundraiser

Slap on a white tee and embrace the messiness! Chicago’s most anticipated street festival, Ribfest is almost here! You know at Thanksgiving when you want to boycott food the day before so you can eat your brains out once the festivities begin? I’m thinking Ribfest might be of Thanksgiving Day caliber- 50,000 people are expected to attend the event and there will be 50,000 pounds of pork...you do the math.

Hi! My name is Cara Dickerson and I am the Empress…I mean Manager of Events for Children’s Home + Aid. We are SO excited to partner with Chicago White Sox stars Paul Konerko and Gordon Beckham to kick off our 6th Annual Bring Me Home Campaign…and I’m even more excited to tell you all about it!

Hello all! Our CEO Billy Dec just joined the Host Committee for a wonderful event and cause he's really passionate about! Supporting with President Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, Mayor Emanuel, actor Jesse...

Who doesn’t love a good music fest in the summer? Indie Pop, Rock, Electro, Hip Hop, Dubstep, Folk, you name it – Metropia has it!

Sarah Levy, owner of Sarah's Pastries & Candies here! One of the few things I love more than a good pastry is a good party. And that’s exactly what we’ll be having on Thursday, June 7 at A Night of Summer Light, the first-ever event hosted by the Young Friends of The Ryan Licht Sang Bipolar Foundation.

Friday, June 1st promises to be a one-of-a-kind night at Lincoln Park Zoo. The zoo’s auxiliary board is hosting their signature fundraiser, Zoo-ologie, in the heart of the Zoo. All the proceeds raised during this unique event will go towards helping care for the animals, keep up exhibits, as well as continue education initiatives all while keeping the zoo free to the public. Lincoln Park Zoo is currently one of only three free zoos in the entire country – and we want it to stay that way! If you live anywhere near Chicago, chances are you’ve enjoyed the beautiful grounds of the LP Zoo at some point in your life. As a DePaul Alum, I walked through the zoo countless times on my way to and from the beach just because I could; not much is free these days, so you have to take advantage and enjoy those few things that are.

Hi readers! Mary Frances Bragiel from WLS-AM 890 here! The Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago has competition. Think modern European, think contemporary, think Misericordia. A home in Chicago that supports more than six hundred children and adults with developmental disabilities. Hundreds of Misericordia residents spend their time during the year creating works of art on canvasses, ceramics, wood, glass and jewelry, never allowing their disability to get in the way of their creativity. As a result the 15th annual "Artist In All" event will take place Wednesday, May 23rd in the Modern Wing at the Art Institute of Chicago.

In 2009, All Pro, Former Chicago Bear, Jerry Azumah and I attended a charity event at the House of Blues for President Bill Clinton. During our visit with the former White House resident, President Clinton said something that would stick with me forever. He mentioned contributions from American households comprise 75% of all giving to nonprofits every year. I looked at my friend and event co-chair, Jerry and smiled knowing the work we did for the Azumah Student Assistance Program (ASAP) that included small donations from our tight and influential network, was a piece of that 75% and our efforts were a part of a bigger picture. A picture that includes over 1,300 listed charities in the Chicagoland area alone!

Think about all the Diet Coke and beer cans we throw away each day- always thought they were useless trash, right? Wrong! Look no further than the work of local architects, designers, engineers and construction workers who are turning cans into pieces of art right here in Chicago! Not only are these cans art, they’re lifesavers, too! Who would have thought?!

Hey Readers! This is Pat Gilroy from the Chicago rock band The Super Happy Fun Club! I've known and worked with Billy throughout the years and I'm excited to be a guest blogger today! In the summer of 2010 I received a troubling text about a friend who was part of a brutal attack. He stood up for someone who was in harm’s way, and in a terrible turn of events, became the victim. (check out the full story here). Matthew Leone (bassist for the rock band Madina Lake) was at the beginning of a very long journey back to normal life.