On May 30, 2018, the stars came out in support of One Family Illinois. Serving as the culmination of Foster Care Awareness Month and as a foundational event for the Roosevelt Square Community Center Capital Campaign, Dining & Conversation offered the opportunity to gather alongside key supporters and friends during a milestone moment in One Family Illinois history.
Leadership Luncheon Hosted by Wintrust Financial
Our friends at Wintrust Financial helped kick off the afternoon of Dining & Conversation by generously hosting a leadership lunch and meeting for special guests and supporters of One Family Illinois. Over the meal, One Family Illinois Chief Executive Officer, Tim McCormick, invited luncheon guests to share about their involvement with the organization and words of wisdom for the community as we continue to build the future of foster care. Special guests included Academy Award winning actor and Film Production Specialist, Christian and Sibi Bale; Feminist Activist, Gloria Steinem; and President and CEO of Wintrust Financial, Ed Wehmer. Special gratitude to the staff and leadership at Wintrust Financial for being such generous hosts.
Christian Bale and Gloria Steinem Tour Roosevelt Square Village
Following the luncheon, Christian Bale and Gloria Steinem joined a small group of staff to tour a Roosevelt Square Village home and visit with two One Family Illinois Foster Parents. Gathered together at the family table of an One Family Illinois Village home, Bale and Steinem enjoyed playing with a group of young cousins on the Village, shared in afternoon treats, and participated in curious and meaningful conversation. Most significantly, Bale and Steinem were able to hear first-person testimony from the Foster Parents on the rewards of our Village model of care, the daily challenges of caring for large sibling groups, and their hopes for the future of the organization.
Dining & Conversation
On the evening of May 30, One Family Illinois hosted Dining & Conversation, a unique event where 120 supporters met and conversed with Luminaries, well-known celebrities from various professional fields. Dinner consisted of courses prepared by Celebrity Chefs from Chicago’s most well-respected restaurants. Luminaries shared a course at each table, rotatingthroughout the evening so as to dine and converse with all guests in attendance. As the event progressed, each guest had the opportunity to talk with all the Luminaries. The night truly resulted in a wonderful evening of dining and conversation.
We offer our sincerest gratitude for the time, energy, and talents of our Luminaries and Celebrity Chefs:
LUMINARIES: Christian Bale, Sibi Bale, Dan Cronin, David Hudanish, Mo Katibeh, Micah Materre, Marianne Murciano, Alexander Pissios, Bob Sirott, Tom Skilling, Julia Stasch, Gloria Steinem, Rochelle Trotter, Edward J. Wehmer
CELEBRITY CHEFS: John Coletta, Federico Comacchio, Kevin Cuddihee, Christopher Gawronski, George Jewell, Michael Klug, Dan McGee, Raki Mehra, Mark Sparacino, John Ward, Tom Van Lente, Dean Zanella,