News
Oak Lawn Hockey Benefit
Oak Lawn’s bravest and best played a hockey game to benefit the new RMH near Hope Children’s Hospital. Of course, before the epic battle, our friend Ronald had to drop the puck. He also picked up a very generous $2,100 for the evening that will help us build the new House!
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Big Mac Under Glass Live Auction PreviewHelp us open the doors for the new Ronald McDonald House® near Advocate Hope Children’s Hospital by raising the roof on the live auction bidding Saturday night! Bid high, bid often, and have fun. Check out our exciting live auction packages: 1 - California Dreamin’ Blue skies, the relaxing sounds of the Pacific surf, and breathtaking Coronado just minutes away from San Diego frame this picture perfect week-long getaway. You’ll need to rest up in your 3 bedroom Coronado condo so you can enjoy everything this beautiful area has to offer. Think about the fun you’ll have possibly taking a walk on the wild side at the San Diego Zoo or other area attractions. Get a little exercise by playing a round of golf at one of the fabulous courses in the area or wind down by spending a relaxing afternoon at the spa. The choice is yours. Sample some of California’s finest wines at Hart Winery, or wrap up a wonderful day with a special sunset dinner. Be the high bidder for this auction item and this California Dream will come true for you. Donated by: Doug Porter, Southwest Airlines and the Friends of RMHC® 2 - Make Your Own Music of the Night Beautiful surroundings, a gracious host, and an antique carousel set the backdrop for this very special evening. You and your closest family and friends, 50 in all, will step back in time while enjoying cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and decadent desserts under the moonlit sky at the Sanfilippo Estate. You and your guests will be treated to a private tour of the estate, and get a chance to ride the carousel in grand style. If you are the high bidder for this item, start working on your guest list. We guarantee your evening will be filled with music and magic. Donated by: The Jasper Sanfilippo Family 3 - A Night of Decadence Close your eyes and imagine this. A special evening with 14 of your favorite people… Add a fabulous dinner prepared by award winning Chef Emilio, paired with the perfect wine, music and flowers. The menu, especially created for you by Chef Emilio, will include a decadent selection of tapas, Emililo’s Signature Seafood Paella Mariscos and more. You’ll pick the date, invite your guests, and the rest is up to us. No shopping, cooking or cleaning before or after… You can make this “Night of Decadence” come true by being our high bidder tonight! Chef Emilio’s Especially Created Menu
Donated by: Chef Emilio Gervilla, Emilio’s Restaurants, Robert O’Hare, Binny’s Beverage Depot, Phillips Flowers & Gifts, We-Clean 4 - Pennies for Pounds It’s a lazy Sunday morning and the travel section of the paper catches your eye. You follow along as the writer describes England’s jolly good capital, London. Excitement builds as you visualize yourself and a guest relaxing on a Virgin Atlantic flight, marking up a guidebook and chatting about your stay. A few hours later you would be admiring Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, marveling at the changing of the guard, and ambling down streets filled with galleries, hip clubs, and wonderful shops. You say to yourself, “someday I will go.” Well, today is the day if you are the high bidder for this London getaway. This package includes roundtrip airfare for two, a three-night stay for two at the Hyatt Regency London, and an additional three nights at the Huxton Urban Lodge. Add a fantastic dining experience at maze, one of London’s best restaurants, and you have the makings of a fabulous trip. Dust off your passport and start packing. You’ll soon be feeling like a royal! Donated by: Virgin Atlantic Airlines, Hyatt Regency London, Huxton Urban Lodge and Park Lane Marriott (maze) 5 - The Sky’s the Limit Are you tired of keeping your feet firmly planted on the ground? Then this amazing three-part package is just for you. First, fast forward to Venetian Night on picturesque Lake Michigan. The evening takes off with a special party for you and 10 friends at the Schaumburg airport. Pilot Pete’s will serve up the food and beverages. Midway through the evening, you and a guest (it will be hard to choose just 1) will head off to jump in the backset of a Lima Lima stunt plane. Feel the thrill of flying with this award winning precision flight team, and enjoy your bird’s eye view of Chicago’s magnificent lakefront. Back on the ground you will be reunited with your party to share your amazing, once in a lifetime experience with all of your guests that came to watch you soar. And there’s more. You and a guest will travel to the Southwest Airlines Operations Center in Dallas to experience Still longing for the wild blue yonder? Then this last event will lift your spirits. Pick a favorite season-late spring, summer or fall-and enjoy a colorful, relaxing hot air balloon ride. Feel the breeze on your face and enjoy the gentle pace of the ride as you float over the beautiful Illinois landscape. With some help from Mother Nature you’ll also enjoy a beautiful sunrise or sunset. This auction item is not to be missed. We promise you will be soaring to new heights if you are the high bidder for this 3-part package. Donated by: Lima Lima, Southwest Airlines and Soaring Adventures |
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Big Mac Under Glass PreviewHosted at the awe-inspiring Sanfilippo Estate, this year's dinner and auction venue will take your breath away.Come join us for "The Music of the Night..." When you arrive at the magnificent Barrington Hills estate, your car will be valeted for you at the Carousel Building - across the sprawling grounds surrounding the main house and current residence of the Sanfilippo family. And when you enter the Carousel Building for cocktails, appetizers and a silent auction, brace yourself for a trip back in time. The tremendous building is decorated with relics from around the world - a steam locomotive and Presidential tour caboose; a colorful, 20-foot clock tower that weighs more than 8,000 pounds; the most complete example of a European salon carousel in existence; dozens of automated musical instruments and a vintage power plant capable of powering modern-day Barrington Hills, to name a few. All beautifully maintained and fully functional... and available for you to view.
During the cocktail reception, each guest will have the opportunity to take a short shuttle ride to the main home where the collection continues. Wander amid hundreds of antique engines, slot machines, player pianos and more. Then, brace yourself for the piece de resistance: the world's largest restored theater pipe organ. Listen to a live organ recital and explore five stories of the organ's fascinating inner-workings. Following the cocktail reception, guests will move to a gorgeous, tented dining room for a fabulous dinner and live auction, as well as brief remarks from RMHC-CNI hero, Sgt. Martin, who organized his fellow soldiers to collect pop tabs and donations for our chapter during his recent tour of duty in Iraq. We will end the evening with a decadent dessert buffet and drinks. Big Mac Under Glass 2007 promises to be an experience of a lifetime. And as a fund raiser that raised more than a quarter million dollars for RMHC-CNI programs in 2006 , it also promises to make an important difference in the lives of the many children and families we serve. The event is sold out, but for more information, please contact Cathy Berk at 630.623.5533. |
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Visions '06 A Hit!The 2006 Fashion Show to benefit RMH near University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital was a great success. The event featured a cocktail reception and elaborate silent auction, followed by luncheon and Fashion Show. Child models who had stayed at the House sported current fashions, while professional adult models entertained and wowed the crowds with fun, choreographed routins and great looks. Congratulations to the Fashion Show committee and staff for putting on another fantastic event! |
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Plans for New RMH near Hope Children's Hospital AnnouncedHope Children's Hospital announced April 22 plans to partner with RMHC-CNI to build a new Ronald McDonald House near their hospital. The Oak Lawn hospital does not currently have housing available for the families of children receiving treatment. The new RMH will meet that need. Final negotiations on land near the hospital is underway and details will be available soon. |
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Sweet Hope Chicago Builds a Room for RMHC-CNIThe folks at Sweet Hope Chicago know how to throw a first-class party! And on April 21, their gala at Germania Place was not just a smashing success for the nearly 500 people who came together to eat, drink, bid and dance the night away - it was a hit for all of the kids who will soon enjoy the brand new playroom in the new Ronald McDonald House near UC Comer Children's Hospital. The event, entitled "Building a Room of Hope," featured music by Jackson Rohm and the Underwater People, a silent auction, "champagne raffle" with a carat diamond prize, and great food and drink. The group was formed in 2003 when a number of motivated professionals decided they could make an even greater philanthropic impact if they worked together to hold charitable fund raisers. Previous beneficiaries of Sweet Hope Chicago events include The Michael J. Fox Foundation and the Lance Armstrong Foundation. THANK YOU to all of the dedicated volunteers of Sweet Hope Chicago who worked so hard to make this year's event such a success! |
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"Live" Art Auctioned Live to Benefit RMHC-CNIJust Ducky Art Gallery in Naperville held an art exhibit April 30 like no other. Featuring the art of Michael Godard, "rock star of the art world," the event drew hundreds of loyal Godard fans and featured martinis, magic and "mayhem." But perhaps the highlight of the event was the unique opportunity to watch the Artist paint an original piece in front of the crowd. While he painted, he talked to the crowd about his life, unique art style and his passion for raising money to support families like his own who are facing a terrifying disease. Michael and his wife Elly have three children, the oldest of which has been living with brain cancer for the past year. With her encouragement, the couple has been on a tight tour schedule since February visiting various destinations to exhibit his art and to auction off one "painted-live" piece for a local charity. Sunday's bidding started at $4,000, quickly rising past $10,000 before a new bidder joined the crowd of eager buyers - 11-year-old Donny Nelson who was bidding for his father who sat apart from the crowd. The boy won the piece featuring Godard's trademark olive for a contribution to RMHC-CNI of $16,000 in honor of his mother, who had died of cancer four years earlier. Godard talked to the boy and quickly personalized the piece, incorporating the his mother's name. We are so grateful to Just Ducky, and Donny and his father, whose $16,000 purchase will make a tremendous difference to the families we serve. And we thank Michael and Elly Godard and their whole family for making such a difference for others in the midst of their daughter's own battle with cancer. |
Photo featured in the Naperville Sun. Click here for the full article. |
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RMHC-CNI Welcomes Congressman Danny Davis and First BookThe Northside House had the honor of hosting Congressman Danny Davis (D – IL) to help kick-off a collaborative event with First Book in which thousands of books are donated to local youths in underserved school to increase reading proficiency. Congressman Davis and RMHC-CNI CEO, Doug Porter, had the pleasure of leading group discussions with students from local schools about some of the books and important topics like trust, responsibility and relationships. |
Pictured with Congressman Davis ( l to r) are Mary Agnes Laguatan, RMHC-CNI Director of Programs and Services; Lora Batdorff, Assistant House Manager; Anne Lebak, Volunteer Coordinator and Kevin Bradley of McDonald’s who helped facilitate the event. |
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"Stake in the Future" at Morton's Another Hit!Monday February 6, 250 RMHC-CNI supporters got together for a night of wonderful food and drink to raise money for the RMHC-CNI Scholarship Program, which helps high achieving high school seniors achieve their dreams of attending college through financial scholarships. New in 2006, RMHC-CNI scholarship recipients will have the opportunity to renew their scholarship for each of four years of college, making RMHC-CNI a true partner throughout their higher education. Guests enjoyed a decadent buffet of Morton's fine selection of wines and cocktails, succulent seafood, classic steakhouse sides and USDA prime-aged beef. In addition, the evening featured an exciting raffle, live auction of a PGA Master's trip and a private in-home dinner party cooked by Morton's Executive Chef, as well as an address by WNBA Chicago Sky Coack Dave Cowens. Special thanks to Presenting Sponsor MidAmerica Bank and to everyone who contributed to make this event such a success. Due to their generosity, we exceeded our goal for this event by fifty percent!  Special thanks to NBA All-Star and WNBA Chicago Sky Head Coach Dave Cowens for joining us to speak about our new WNBA team and their role in the community. |
Our friends from United Scrap Metal enjoy the evening. 
RMHC-CNI CEO Doug Porter presents a plaque to Al Koranda, chairman and CEO of MidAmerica Bank, and Shane Johnson, assistant vice president and branch manager in Clarendon Hills in thanks for their sponsorship. |
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Cook County Farm Bureau Helps Feed Our FamiliesTo celebrate "Food Checkout Day," the day the average American family has earned enough money to buy food for the year, the Cook County Farm Bureau raised food, funds and pop tabs to benefit RMHC-CNI. And this was not just an ordinary food delivery! On February 3, CCFB representatives (and Ronald!) pulled up to the Ronald McDonald House near Loyola University Medical Center in a farm tractor filled to the brim with donated goods to fill the pantries of our three Houses. The assembled crowd cheered as CCFB presented a check for $5,000 in donated funds and pitched in to unload two tons of donated product, tour the House and enjoy a home cook meal prepared by the "Telecom Pioneers" - a volunteer group that regularly cooks meals for families staying at the House. Thank you to our friends at the Cook County Farm Bureau. We truly appreciate your ongoing generosity.  CCFB donates $5,000 to the RMHC-CNI. |
Ronald leads us as we unload the goods from the tractor.
Everyone had a great time!
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A Sweet Event for RMHC-CNIWhat house in the Chicagoland area provides more home-cooked meals to families than those at the Ronald McDonald Houses? Well, then, what better place to hold a dessert cook-off right before the holiday of love? That's why culinary students at Kendall College were recently given a sweet challenge: create a dessert recipe featuring a sweet onion! Just in time for Valentine's Day, the students came to RMH near Loyola University Medical Center for a cook-off to see who's recipe took the cake. Congratulations to all of the students, and to first prize winner Cameron Waron, who took onions to a new height with desserts from onion ice cream to cakes of all kinds. And thank you to Sweet Onion Cook-off organizers for their generous donation to RMHC-CNI.  Ronald joins winner Cameron Waron to sample the winner dessert. |
Students created all sorts of sweet creations in the kitchen of RMH near Loyola. |
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Celebrating the Season for RMHC-CNIOn Friday, December 30th Sheila Musolino and Michael Giambrone opened their beautiful town home in Willow Springs to host a Christmas Open House to benefit RMHC-CNI. Over 150 friends of Sheila and Mike’s, along with many RMHC-CNI supporters, attended this wonderful event that raised in excess of $3,500 for our charity. The great attendance was driven by the fact that this was no “ordinary” holiday party. With nine Christmas trees, many of them rotating, and every square inch of their town home beautifully decorated, guests were entertained for hours with intricate displays of Christmas. Michael spent days building an amazing Department 56 village with a hand-carved “ice display” running the full length of a basement. To top it off, even the sink strainer was adorned with a Santa Claus! Sheila and Mike start their decorating in the October timeframe and it stays up through March (and no they don’t have children!!) We are very thankful for Sheila’s and Mike’s generosity, hard work and thoughtfulness in supporting RMHC-CNI. The event was such a success that Sheila has promised to do it again next year. While we are still searching for an exact date – keep this event in mind as you don’t want to miss it! |
Michael Giambrone and Sheila Musolino hang out with Ronald at their holiday reception. |
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