Nordstrom and Alexian Brothers Medical Center are getting to be quite the team. The March opening of the Nordstrom store in Woodfield was a fundraiser for ABMC, and Nordstrom Vice President and General Manager Bob Middlemas was honorary chairman of last weekend’s ninth annual Garden Ball for Alexian Brothers at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare.
The two events raised more than $250,000 for Senior Care Initiative Programs at the Medical Center. As a result of mom and dad’s high bid ($1,650), the five children of Mike and Kim Singletary are now taking care of the family’s new cocker spaniel puppy. And Jeff Shaw, a nurse at ABMC, was the evening’s surprise hit when performer Louise Mandrell brought him up on stage to sing a duet of “Y’All Come and See Us.”
– More than 200 alums and supporters of the Center on Deafness, many of them traveling from out of state, gathered Friday at the Wellington in Arlington Heights to honor the center’s founder, Patricia Ann Scherer, for her 35 years of dedication and service.
Among the evening’s highlights: a video from center alum Marlee Matlin and a signing performance by Scherer’s seven grandchildren (none of whom is hearing impaired). Also a big hit: the Center’s Traveling Hands troupe. The Center on Deafness serves as a center for diagnostics, resources, education, theater, arts, and sports for the hearing-impaired community.
– Kids were also the highlight at the 34th annual Azalea Ball to benefit Lawrence Hall Youth Services, one of the oldest and largest child welfare agencies in Chicago, serving more than 1,500 children. The Saturday event featured performances by winners of the Lawrence Hall talent show, as well as music by blues pianist Robert (Speedy) Walker and the Eric Hochberg Orchestra.
– Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund will kick off Lesbian and Gay Pride Month on Friday with Lambda Launch III, a dockside party and sunset cruise on the Spirit of Chicago. Lambda is a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, and people with HIV and AIDS. Tickets for the event, featuring a buffet and open bar, begin at $75; call 312-759-8110 for more information. Advance reservations are required.
– It’s not always easy to come up with a fundraising idea that could be fun for the whole family, but the Allendale Association seems to have done it. On Sunday, the grand opening of the new Ghirardelli Chocolate Shop and Soda Fountain at 830 N. Michigan Ave. will be an afternoon fundraiser for the organization, which serves abused children and young people with emotional and behavioral problems.
Tickets are only $25, and children under 12 will be admitted free for the 2-to-6 p.m. event that will include fudge, chocolates, ice cream, raffle prizes, and a jazz band. For information or reservations, call 708-356-2351, ext. 204.
– The creations of 13 of the Midwest’s top female chefs will be featured Sunday at the 10th annual evening of Bread and Roses to beneit Rainbow House’s programs for abused women and children. The event at the Hotel Inter-Continental begins at 5:30 p.m. and will feature a champagne reception and silent auction followed by a six-course dinner and live auction at 6 p.m. For more information or to make reservations (tickets are $125), call 312-521-5501.
