Starlight’s 23rd Annual Gala Honors Chicago Bear Charles Tillman
Starlight Children’s Foundation Midwest hosted their 23rd Annual Gala on Saturday, May 22, at the Standard Club. This year’s gala raised an astounding $231,500 which will allow Starlight to continue to work towards improving the lives of seriously ill children and those who love them.
The ballroom sparkled in shades of orange, a nod to this year’s honoree Chicago Bear, Charles Tillman. The night kicked off with a cocktail hour where guests were given the opportunity to bid on a tempting array of Silent Auction items. The potential prizes ranged from adrenaline-filled aerial tours with the Windy City Flyers in which the highest bidder could take the controls for liftoff to the opportunity to be Guest Chef-For-A-Day in Charlie Trotter’s Restaurant.
Following the Silent Auction, guests entered the Grand Ballroom where they were greeted by the live, festive sounds of Entourage. They were then treated to an elegant dinner of sliced tenderloin of beef with roasted mushrooms, dauphinoise potatoes and a mélange of spring vegetables. Dinner was followed by the Live Auction. This year’s Live Auction was a touchdown raising close to $20,000 which comes as no surprise given the amazing one-of-a-kind opportunities up for bid. For the ultimate Bears fan, the winner would not only be able to watch Tillman from the stands during Spring Training but could actually go to dinner and a movie with him. For those who already had their minds on vacation this summer, the California Dreaming package made sure that the winner would enjoy all tinsel town has to offer complete with two tickets to “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”, a lunch with John Stamos, and more.
The Starlight Giving Tree and Angel Auction are staples at every annual gala. Providing guests the opportunity to directly donate to their favorite Starlight program.
After the auctions, guests made their way to the dance floor again as Entourage kept up the energy into the wee hours of the morning with renditions of everything from the Temptations to the Black Eyed Peas.
This year, over 250 guests came together to ensure that the night would once again be a success for Starlight.
One of the Starlight children, Kira, who attended the event, described the night as “My best memory yet!” With the generous support of all the donors as well as Charles Tillman’s dedication, Starlight can continue to provide programming for seriously ill children throughout the Midwest.
The ballroom sparkled in shades of orange, a nod to this year’s honoree Chicago Bear, Charles Tillman. The night kicked off with a cocktail hour where guests were given the opportunity to bid on a tempting array of Silent Auction items. The potential prizes ranged from adrenaline-filled aerial tours with the Windy City Flyers in which the highest bidder could take the controls for liftoff to the opportunity to be Guest Chef-For-A-Day in Charlie Trotter’s Restaurant.
Following the Silent Auction, guests entered the Grand Ballroom where they were greeted by the live, festive sounds of Entourage. They were then treated to an elegant dinner of sliced tenderloin of beef with roasted mushrooms, dauphinoise potatoes and a mélange of spring vegetables. Dinner was followed by the Live Auction. This year’s Live Auction was a touchdown raising close to $20,000 which comes as no surprise given the amazing one-of-a-kind opportunities up for bid. For the ultimate Bears fan, the winner would not only be able to watch Tillman from the stands during Spring Training but could actually go to dinner and a movie with him. For those who already had their minds on vacation this summer, the California Dreaming package made sure that the winner would enjoy all tinsel town has to offer complete with two tickets to “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”, a lunch with John Stamos, and more.
The Starlight Giving Tree and Angel Auction are staples at every annual gala. Providing guests the opportunity to directly donate to their favorite Starlight program.
After the auctions, guests made their way to the dance floor again as Entourage kept up the energy into the wee hours of the morning with renditions of everything from the Temptations to the Black Eyed Peas.
This year, over 250 guests came together to ensure that the night would once again be a success for Starlight.
One of the Starlight children, Kira, who attended the event, described the night as “My best memory yet!” With the generous support of all the donors as well as Charles Tillman’s dedication, Starlight can continue to provide programming for seriously ill children throughout the Midwest.
