Category Archives: Non-Profits
Chicago Polar Plunge March 1st 2020
March 1, 2020 at North Avenue Beach celebrates the 20th anniversary of this Chicago winter tradition.
This fundraiser is extremely important to the 7,500+ Special Olympics Chicago athletes that the Chicago Polar Plunge benefits. You are what makes this day possible, so thank you! We are expecting 4,000+ of you to take the plunge and thousands of spectators on top of that.
We want to make sure you are properly prepared. Below are some helpful reminders to get you ready!
Itinerary March 1, 2020:
8:00 AM Beach & Registration Opens
9:45 AM Opening Ceremony
10:00 AM Meltdown Tent Opens
10:30 AM–11:15 AM Plunge Waves
Location:
1601 N. Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60611
Parking:
We encourage public transportation/carpooling/rideshare. If driving, the parking lot at Lincoln Park Zoo is free for the Plunge. The lot is located at Fullerton Parkway and Cannon Drive, 2400 North Cannon Drive, Chicago, IL 60614.
Check in process:
We recommend checking in ahead of time during one of the sessions below. (listed below) prior to Sunday, March 1 to pick up your t-shirt, wristbands and turn in any offline donations. Groups of 20 or more will be required to pick up their team’s materials prior to March 1.
Early pickup dates:
Friday, February 28, from 3:00–6:30 PM
Saturday, February 29, from 10:00 AM–2:00 PM
Sunday, March 1, from 8:00–10:00 AM
What to Bring
Please bring your bags and dry items with you as you enter the warming tents. As far as what to wear into the water, less is better. Shoes are REQUIRED to take the plunge. Don’t forget about the costume contest!
Please bring a bag with the following:
- Shoes (required to plunge)
- A warm change of clothing
Extra items you might want to bring include
- An extra towel
- A waterproof phone case (available for $5 at our souvenir tent)
What to do with your Belongings
One great thing about bringing friends to watch is that they can hold your bag while you plunge. But don’t worry. If you want to keep your gear handy, just take it with you into the heating tents before you plunge. Our volunteers will direct you to leave your bags on a tarp before heading into the water as a “Gear Check”. After you take the plunge and exit the water, volunteers will hand you a souvenir towel and will direct you to your bag right where you left it on the dry tarp.
The boathouse has restrooms available to all Plungers before and after the event, as well as changing rooms throughout the beach.
Please note: Special Olympics Chicago is not responsible for lost or stolen personal belongings. Please leave all items at your own risk. We do have a lost and found on site.
Play it safe! Remember there is no diving allowed!
Meltdown Party and Olympic Village:
Following the Plunge, come enjoy our meltdown party. Featuring food, a cash bar, music and most importantly, HEATERS! On your way there, check out Olympic Village! You can take photos at our selfie stations, check out athlete artwork from Envisions artists, buy sweet treats from Misericordia, or buttons from Easterseals!
You should expect to have an absolute blast! Also, expect a very large crowd filled with tons of energy. The actual plunge is short and sweet, but you may have to wait in line before you jump in the water. You can listen to music, buy Polar Plunge merchandise, food, and/or drinks while mingling with thousands of fellow Plungers and spectators.
See you soon, Plungers!
What is the Midwest?
Trienens Galleries / Newberry Library
Often called “the Heartland” or “flyover country,” the Midwest tends to be characterized as a homogeneous, barren space between the American coasts. This exhibition challenges the assumptions, stereotypes, and persistent narratives about the Midwest, exploring the confluence of peoples and environmental conditions that has defined the region and made it unique.
Spanning roughly 400 years—from the seventeenth century to the twenty-first—the exhibition tells a multitude of stories using various Newberry collections, including maps, art, promotional ephemera, archival photos and videos, and personal letters and diaries.
Free docent-led tours of the exhibition will be offered on Fridays and Saturdays at 2 pm and Tuesdays at 11 am.
What Is the Midwest? is generously supported by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. A series of public programs and a set of digital resources will also explore the major themes of this exhibition in the fall of 2019.
The Newberry Library is located on the lands of American Indians, who have persisted longer than the United States has been a nation. We acknowledge that Potawatomi, Odawa, Sauk, Ojibwe, Illinois, Kickapoo (Kiikaapoi), Miami (Myaamia), Mascouten, Wea, Delaware, Winnebago, Menominee, and Mesquakie villages resided and traded along Lake Michigan’s shoreline from precontact through the nineteenth century. The Newberry honors and respects Chicago’s diverse American Indian community.
- The Newberry
- 60 West Walton Street, Chicago, Illinois 60610
- (312) 943-9090
Chicago Aids Run Walk October 5 2019
“Live True. Be You” at the 2019 AIDS Run & Walk Chicago
On Saturday, Oct. 5, advocates from across Chicago and beyond will gather to support those living with and vulnerable to HIV at the 2019 AIDS Run & Walk Chicago. Held at Soldier Field, the 18th annual event encourages participants to live true as they raise vital awareness and funds for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) and 27 CommunityDirect partners. The proceeds benefit programs and services improving the lives of those affected by HIV and AIDS and other chronic conditions.
The event attracts thousands of participants annually, who gather at one of Chicago’s most iconic locations for the 5K walk and 5K and 10K runs. Participants travel a scenic route along Lake Michigan and finish at Soldier Field. This vibrant event will mobilize the community under the theme “Live true. Be you.”
“The theme this year continues to be “Live True. Be You”, as living each day authentically is a crucial part of embracing who we are as a community and showing how we can make a difference for people living with and vulnerable to HIV and AIDS,” said Dustin Erikstrup, AFC’s Senior Manager of Special Events. “It is important to live true and openly each day in this unpredictable climate. AIDS Run & Walk Chicago provides this safe space where people can express themselves.”
In addition to AFC, 27 community organizations serving Chicago’s HIV and AIDS population are also beneficiaries of the funds raised at AIDS Run & Walk Chicago as part of the CommunityDirect program. Participating CommunityDirect organizations kick off the event’s fundraising efforts by registering their own team for the 5K walk, 5K or 10K runs. Many of this year’s community partners have been involved in the event for years, providing opportunities for other organizations to participate and support its fundraising efforts.
AFC recently joined forces with the Illinois Department of Public Health, the Chicago Department of Public Health, and other statewide partners to launch Getting to Zero Illinois. This is a state-wide initiative to end the HIV epidemic in Illinois by 2030 with the help of community-based organizations, health care providers, local government agencies and local members of Illinois’ HIV community. The initiative focuses on increasing the current rates of PrEP (a daily prevention pill that is up to 99 percent effective when taken consistently and correctly) and other HIV treatments to attain fewer than 100 new HIV cases per year.
In Illinois, an estimated 45,000 people live with HIV or AIDS. AFC, along with community organizations and other partners, are working tirelessly to get this number down to zero through their advocacy and fundraising efforts. The AIDS Run & Walk Chicago provides the ideal opportunity to raise money and awareness for and the groups and individuals who are working to combat the epidemic in Illinois.
Since its establishment in 2001, the AIDS Run & Walk Chicago has raised more than $6 million to battle the epidemic. For more information or to participate, visit aidsrunwalk.org or call 312-334-0946.
2019 CommunityDirect Partners
Michael Reese Care Program at Mercy
Chicago Recovery Alliance
Lurie SID
The Night Ministry
Agape Missions
Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago
Center on Halsted
Chicago House and Social Service Agency
AMITA Health Housing & Health Alliance
Legal Beagles (Legal Council for Health Justice)
Season of Concern
Open Door
Howard Brown
Sinai/Holy Cross Strolling Bones
SWOP – Chicago (Sex Workers Outreach Project)
CCHE (Chicago Center for HIV Elimination
Pride Action Tank
Men and Women in Prison Ministries
Catholic Charities
Mother and Child Alliance
Team CCHIP (Ruth M. Rothstein CORE Center)
DANCE FOR LIFE CHICAGO
Erie Family Health Centers
Chicago Black Gay Men’s Caucus
Team Loyola
New Ages Services Corporation
Team HAI (Heartland Alliance International)
About AFC
About the AIDS Foundation of Chicago: AFC mobilizes communities to create equity and justice for people living with and vulnerable to HIV or chronic conditions. AFC aspires to create a world in which people living with HIV or chronic conditions will thrive, and there will be no new HIV cases. More at: aidschicago.org.
33rd Annual Day of the Dead exhibition
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Down Syndrome Dance-a-thon Sept 22
For the average family, adding additional educational and therapeutic programs to their child’s life is not necessary. However, children and teenagers with Down Syndrome often require numerous additional programs (both educational and therapeutic) in their daily routine just to keep up with their peers. These programs can be extremely costly, which is why GiGi’s Playhouse, a nonprofit organization, is dedicated to offering free programs for individuals of all ages with Down Syndrome.
In order to offer free programs, GiGi’s Playhouse relies on donations and fundraising.
YOU CAN HELP! their next fundraising event; Get Down With Down Syndrome Dance-a-Thon. It is this Saturday, September 22 from 2-5pm at DePaul College Prep in Chicago. All proceeds and donations will go directly to GiGi’s Playhouse so they can continue offering the programs to individuals with Down Syndrome in the Chicago-area.
About GiGi’s Playhouse Chicago:
GiGi’s Playhouse Chicago is part of a nationwide network of achievement centers serving individuals with Down syndrome and their families. Educational and therapeutic, GiGi’s Playhouse programs are designed by professional teachers and clinicians focusing on tangible and meaningful outcomes that improve lives. At GiGi’s Playhouse Chicago children and adults learn to read, compute, improve their health & wellness, develop career skills and prepare to live full lives, integrated within the community as co-workers, equals and friends. GiGi’s Playhouse Down Syndrome Achievement Center’s mission is to change the way the world views Down syndrome through national campaigns, educational programs, and by empowering individuals with Down syndrome, their families and the community.
About the Founder:
Nancy Gianni is the Founder and “Chief Belief Officer” of GiGi’s Playhouse Down Syndrome Achievement Centers, and the visionary behind the organization’s launch and dramatic growth. In 2002, Nancy gave birth to her beautiful daughter, GiGi. When Nancy received the Down syndrome diagnosis, her fears coupled with the negative reactions of the medical staff made Nancy believe that her life, as she knew it, was over. She soon realized that GiGi could do the very same things that her other children do! What began as a mother’s vision to change perception, and maximize her daughter’s successes, has evolved into a global movement of acceptance and achievement.
Private Night at Six Flags Sept 8th
Out In The Park at Six Flags Great America
Returns in 2018 for Year 7!
A Private Night in the Park to Celebrate Diversity
Presented by Toyota & BestGayChicago.com
That Will Help Benefit Lakeside pride Music Ensemble
Saturday, September 8th, 2018 from 7:30PM to 12AM
Out In The Park is an annual private diversity event featuring unlimited riding of ALL Six Flags Great America’s amazing THRILL rides (with much shorter than usual lines! The park is only 35% full!) with a portion of all ticket sales each year helping to benefit various non-profits.
For 2018, it will benefit LAKESIDE PRIDE MUSIC ENSEMBLE! “One of the best elements of this event is that it is closed to the general public and this year our event piggy-backs a daytime corporate buyout so our attendees will be entering an EMPTY PARK!” explains Michael Snell, co-owner of BestGayChicago.com. “The LGBTQ community, their family, friends and supporters can enjoy the park with shorter lines and without homophobic or bigotry from anyone. It’s like a Fall Pride Celebration!”
It’s important to us that everyone—no matter who you are, how you identify, or where you’re from—feel comfortable and confident. Our message is simple: You are welcome here.
Singer, songwriter, producer and DJ ADAM JOSEPH will be playing his music in JB’s bar for 2 hours at the event. Then he play again from 1am – 3am at CHARLIE’S, the Official After Party in Boystown. (Charlies will also be offering a limited number of bus seats to and from the park – details soon!
“We are honored that some of our peers including GRAB Magazine, ChicagoPride.com and QUEST Magazine in Wisconsin also help us by donating advertising space for this event! It’s truly a community event where everyone comes together for the greater good!” says Derrick Sorles.
Advance $43 tickets can be purchased NOW HERE
Attendees get FREE parking for this special event!
September 1st the price goes up to $48.
$53 at the gate, IF AVAILABLE.
This event is capped at only 5,000 tickets, to ensure lines stay short for the rides.
Season Passes cannot be honored for special events.
All ages event.
Drinks are available for purchase to those 21+
Isaiah Grass Holiday Music and Giving Back
Chicago’s Isaiah Grass is an American Singer & Song Writer who is quickly gaining recognition as “the one to watch” as his fan base and music career continues to grow both locally, nationally, and overseas.
His interest in music began at childhood. At the age of 7 he started singing in his church choir, where it didn’t take long to be noticed by his unusual powerful vocal range and from that moment on he began to sing at charity events, school assemblies, talent competitions and many other venues.
Graduating from a performing arts academy, Isaiah was then scouted by modeling agencies in NYC, who encouraged him to pursue a career in the fashion industry. In 2010, Isaiah was scouted by LEDOM MODEL in Chicago, who signed Isaiah to their agency, and in return launched his music career to the public in 2011.
His debut single, “I’m a Freak”, was released worldwide on 01/11/11, becoming an internet hit with nearly 100,000 views in less than a month. Due to the phenomenal acceptance Isaiah received since the launching of his career as a singer, he released his debut album titled “Expect The Unexpected” on 12.12.12. This album contains 13 songs written by Isaiah, full of pop, dance, and acoustic songs which helped introduce his music to a wide range of diverse listeners demographically located around the world
Isaiah is currently ranked No.1 on the Chicago Reverbnation Pop Charts, and has over 300K followers combined on his social media (Twitter, Instagram, FB) and 2 million views on his YouTube channel.
If you haven’t gotten a copy of his CD “Christmas with You” get it TODAY! He is donating part of the proceeds to The Salvation Army. Remember, this is A Christmas Song To Celebrate The Spirit of Giving. Get it at: shop.isaiahgrass.com
Follow him on Facebook!
Day of the Dead Chicago Events 2017
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Day of the Dead: Xicágo
Join the National Museum of Mexican Art for the annual Día de los Muertos Xicágo celebration on Sunday, October 29th from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Bring your friends and loved ones to celebrate Día de los Muertos as we transform the Museum and surrounding area into a beautiful work of art. To commemorate this special day, guests will enjoy face painting, art activities, ofrenda (altar) demonstrations, live musical performances, and Pan de Muerto (traditional Day of the Dead Bread). This year we are thrilled to be joined by Fernando Sic (Rimiyoho), who will create live animations projected on the Museum’s exterior.
Additionally, families and individuals are invited to participate by creating their own ofrenda (Day of the Dead altar) or sharing a photograph of a departed loved one as part of the large illuminated ofrenda. Read more about the event and how you can contribute.
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Enjoy a spectacular fall event complete with live musical and DJ entertainment, delicious culinary treats, and cocktails, all in support of the Museum’s programs.
More details to come! But early birds can purchase tickets now and take advantage of discounted pricing.
BRUNCH Run Walk June 17th 2017
GET YOUR BRUNCH ON!
Imerman Angels Brunch Run 5K & Walk
Saturday, June 17, 2017
This is not your ordinary 5K!
The Brunch Run is a 5K with a reward worth running (or walking) for. Because when you reach the finish line, you will be treated to an amazing brunch from Chicago’s award-winning Blue Plate Catering.
And that’s not all – every participant receives:
On-Course Gourmet Surprises
Ice Cold Beer at the Finish
Mimosa Bar (must be 21 years old or older)
Iced Coffee Station
Lifestyle T-Shirt (gender specific)
Signature Brunch
