La Sorella di Francesca Eat & Earn July 11

La Sorella di Francesca (18 W. Jefferson Ave., Naperville, IL 60540, 630-961-2706) is participating in an Eat & Earn program July 11.  Dine in or carry out at Francesca’s and 20% of the day's sales go towards building a house for a local war veteran.  For more information visit www.nrfov.org.

Free Release Tuesday: The Anti-Cruelty Society presents its 10th annual benefit ‘It’s Raining Cats and Dogs!’ October 1

Join The Anti-Cruelty Society in helping animals avoid mistreatment. From 6:30 p.m. until 10 p.m. The Anti-Cruelty Society hosts its 10th annual ‘Its Raining Cats and Dogs!’ benefit at The Hard Rock Hotel (230 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago; 312- 345-1000). The event is presented by Hill’s Science Diet and Chopper Trading. Tickets are $125-$175 per person and can be purchased here.

Join Master of Ceremonies and NBC5 anchor Andy Avalos while sampling chef tastings from James Gottwald of Rockit Bar & Grill, Jesse DeGuzman of Sunda or Jimmy Bannos of Heaven on Seven. For a full list of participating chefs, press here. Wine, beer and specialty cocktails are served. Rock/blues/indie group, Train Company and jazz group Varioso Duo perform. Check out the live and silent auctions, and enter the raffle for a chance to win $5,000.

For more information, call (312) 645-8006 or email events@animalcruelty.org.

About The Anti-Cruelty Society
The Anti-Cruelty Society is Chicago's oldest and largest, comprehensive, open-admission humane society. Located in Chicago's River North neighborhood, The Anti-Cruelty Society has been helping pets and educating people since 1899. Since 1999, the beginning of our second century of caring, we have found loving permanent homes for more than 40,000 pets, spayed or neutered more than 61,000 animals and taught messages of compassion and caring for the animals to more than 225,000 school-aged children and community groups.

For more information, visit events@anticruelty.org or call (312) 645-8006. Become a fan of The Anti-Cruelty Society on Facebook or follow them on Twitter.

Free Release Tuesdays at Kurman
This is part of Kurman Communications' Free Release Tuesdays series. Are you a non-profit or charity with an upcoming event? Let us help promote it with our new service, FRT- Free Release Tuesdays.

What is it? All you have to do is send us news on your upcoming event, including the details-- date/time, location, images, a link to a website, etc. We'll pick our top selections and post them on our highly-read blog! Got Buzz receives thousands of page views monthly by consumers and journalists who are looking for things to do and content to feature.

KCI is pleased to help you spread the news! Send all materials to kurmanstaff@kurman.com, and remember to follow us on Twitter @kurmanstaff.

Free Release Tuesday: Donate and drink with The Aparecio Foundation in Chicago June 17

Enjoy a night of low-calorie cocktails and jewelry from different venders. Join The Aparecio Foundation for Jewels for Charity: After the Party at 10 p.m. Thursday, June 17 at Y Bar Chicago (224 W. Ontario St., Chicago). 50 percent of the proceeds go to The Aparecio Foundation, which provides educational grants for deserving, underprivileged women in the Chicago area.

Receive complimentary admission along with a no charge cocktail.

For more information on The Aparecio Foundation or Jewels for Charity: After the Party, visit www.apareciofoundation.org or call (312) 957-6094.

About The Aparecio Foundation
The Apareció Foundation is a registered 501 (c) 3 charity, geared toward the development of a four year renewable scholarship, foreign language, study abroad and volunteer program designed to accelerate achievement for low-income, high-potential women in Chicago Public High Schools.

Utilizing a group-mentoring model, the student mentoring initiative creates opportunities for Apareció women scholars to connect with professional women from a wide range of industries over the course of six years.

For more information on The Aparecio Foundation or Jewels for Charity: After the Party, visit www.apareciofoundation.org or call (312) 957-6094.

Free Release Tuesdays at Kurman
This is part of Kurman Communications' Free Release Tuesdays series. Are you a non-profit or charity with an upcoming event? Let us help promote it with our new service, FRT- Free Release Tuesdays.

What is it? All you have to do is send us news on your upcoming event, including the details-- date/time, location, images, a link to a website, etc. We'll pick our top selections and post them on our highly-read blog! Got Buzz receives thousands of page views monthly by consumers and journalists who are looking for things to do and content to feature.

KCI is pleased to help you spread the news! Send all materials to kurmanstaff@kurman.com, and remember to follow us on Twitter @kurmanstaff.

Free Release Tuesday: EdgeAlliance Hosts a Benefit for the 17th Annual Dining Out For Life

Come dine, fight AIDS and donate to EdgeAlliance Thursday, April 29 for the 17th Annual Dining Out for Life benefit. Enjoy breakfast, lunch, or dinner at one of the 80 Chicago restaurants supporting Edge Alliance, a life and housing progress service for people living with HIV/AIDS.

Participating restaurants include: 312 Chicago, Firefly and Halsted’s Bar & Grill. For a full list of participating restaurants press here. Prices vary depending on the restaurant. Diamond level restaurants donate $1500. Platinum restaurants donate $1,000, and Gold restaurants donate 33 percent of food and beverage cost or $750, whichever total is larger. Together the restaurants celebrate food, friends, and an excellent cause.

Donations can be made by texting EDGE and the donation amount to 27138. To volunteer for the event, visit www.edgealliance.org. To make reservations, contact the restaurant of your choice.

About EdgeAlliance EdgeAlliance is a non-profit organization designed to give its alliance members the highest quality of support. EdgeAlliance’s mission is to decrease homelessness and to support people living with HIV/AIDS, the disabled, and veterans. EdgeAlliance’s goal is to develop the most cost-effective programs for alliance members. EdgeAlliance members include AIDS Care Progressive Services, LLC., Sawyer Gardens, Inc., Garden View, LLC., The Phoenix House LLC and Liberty One LLC. For more information, visit www.edgealliance.org or call (773) 935-4663.

Free Release Tuesdays at Kurman This is part of Kurman Communications' Free Release Tuesdays series. Are you a non-profit or charity with an upcoming event? Let us help promote it with our new service, FRT- Free Release Tuesdays.

What is it? All you have to do is send us news on your upcoming event, including the details-- date/time, location, images, a link to a website, etc. We'll pick our top selections and post them on our highly-read blog! Got Buzz receives thousands of page views monthly by consumers and journalists who are looking for things to do and content to feature.

KCI is pleased to help you spread the news! Send all materials to kurmanstaff@kurman.com, and remember to follow us on Twitter @kurmanstaff.

Free Release Tuesday: Benefit for Producer Michael Cullen April 19

Royal George, 1641 N. Halsted, opens its doors at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, April 19, 2010 in honor of Michael Cullen, owner of the Mercury Theater and Cullen’s, and a 35-year veteran producer and pioneer in the development of Chicagoland theater as it is known today. Recently suffering from a stroke, Mr. Cullen requires extensive therapy treatments. The entertainment line-up is still to be announced for this event.

Michael Cullen began his artistic journey through part of his graduate program at the Goodman School of Drama where he founded the Travel Light Theater Company, one of the first off-Loop theater companies. Starting with ten actors Travel Light grew into one of the more prominent and well-known theaters. During the Travel Light years he independently produced over eighty productions. He was one of the co-founders and developers of the Theater Building located 1225 West Belmont Avenue in Chicago where Travel Light Theater found a permanent home. Here he produced such shows as Lone Star with Sigourney Weaver, Woody Guthrie featuring Tom Taylor, Gracie directed by Austin Pendelton and featuring the acclaimed Steppenwolf Company. It received four Joseph Jefferson Awards and a PBS airing. During this same time he helped found the League of Chicago Theaters.

Some of Mr. Cullen’s independent productions along with partner Arnie Saks, include the Midwest premiere of I’m Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road starring Gretchen Cryer. It became the longest-running show at the Drury Lane Water Tower Theater, spanning 1 ½ years and winning six Joseph Jefferson Awards. His premiere of Tintypes played a record breaking run at the Apollo Theater Center and earned six Joseph Jefferson Awards. At the Goodman Theater he presented Lily Tomlin in Lily Tomlin; Appearing Nightly. He brought Mary Wilson and the Supremes, Barbara Cook, and Tommy tune to the Royal George for a series of concert appearances. He served as Associate Producer for the Broadway production of Speed of Darkness by Steve Tesiech directed by Robert Falls. It received four Tony nominations, winning a Best Supporting Actor Tony for Stephen Lang.

In 1984, Mr. Cullen along with his partner Sheila Henaghan, formed Cullen, Henaghan and Platt presenting Pump Boys and Dinettes which ran for 4 ½ years and on May 16, 1988, became the longest running musical in the history of Chicago Theater. In 1986, Mr. Cullen became involved with development of the Royal George Theater. In addition to those already mentioned, Cullen, Henaghan and Platt over a ten year period brought to Chicago productions of Shirley Valentine, Driving Miss Daisy, Steel Magnolias, I’m not Rappaport, A… My Name is Alice, Jeeves Taking Charge, The Nerd, Frankie and Johnny in the Claire du Lune, and Some Things You Need to Know Before the World Ends: A Final Evening with the Illuminati. In New York at the West Side Arts Theater they produced the off-Broadway production of 21A. In addition to those already mentioned, Mr. Cullen has worked with such stars as Charles Nelson Reilly, Loretta Swit, Ellen Burstyn, Kathy Bates, John Astin, John Mahoney, Estelle Parsons, and George Peppard.


In 1994, Mr. Cullen along with his partner, Joe Carlucci, purchased the property at 3741-3747 North Southport, which they developed into three businesses. Mr. Cullen owns and operates the businesses known as Cullen’s Bar & Grill and The Mercury Theater.


The Mercury Theater has presented a wide range of theatrical productions from the musical, Pope Joan, to the three man comedy Triple Espresso and has hosted many popular one man shows such as His Way, The Male Intellect, An Oxymoron, Jown Astin’s Edgar Allan Poe show. The Tony Award winning comedy The Last Night of Ballyhoo enjoyed a long run as did, Frank McCourt’s The Irish and How They Got That Way. Also the Mercury Buckminister Fuller, the History and Mystery of the Universe, Barry Manilow’s musical review Could It Be Magic?, Over the Tavern, Over the River and Through the Woods, and most recently the award winning Belfast Blues, currently running off-Broadway.


Organizers are suggesting a $50 to $75 donation. For more information or to donate directly, please visit www.michaelcullenrecoveryfund.org.

Free Release Tuesdays at Kurman
This is part of Kurman Communications' Free Release Tuesdays series. Are you a non-profit or charity with an upcoming event? Let us help promote it with our new service, FRT- Free Release Tuesdays.

What is it? All you have to do is send us news on your upcoming event, including the details-- date/time, location, images, a link to a Web site, etc. We'll pick our top selections and post them on our highly-read blog! Got Buzz receives thousands of page views monthly by consumers and journalists who are looking for things to do and content to feature.

KCI is pleased to help you spread the news! Send all materials to kurmanstaff@kurman.com, and remember to follow us on Twitter @kurmanstaff.

(Photo courtesy of Noreen Heron & Associates)

Free Release Tuesday: 2nd Annual "A Night for African Education" Gala March 11

Join the Indigenous Education Foundation (IEFT) on March 11 for A Night for African Education at Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace. The second annual event is being hosted by Chicago resident and IEFT volunteer, Drury Lane Producer Abbie DeSantis, who became involved with IEFT in early November 2008 while pursuing a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certificate in northern Tanzania. Abbie found that her journey to Tanzania and time spent at Orkeeswa Secondary School was one of the most worthwhile and rewarding experiences of her life.

Enjoy a gourmet dinner, full host bar, live music, silent auction, and Fair-Trade Maasai Jewelry & Crafts all for a spectacular cause – learning more about education in East Africa and supporting solutions to global poverty.

2nd Annual “A Night for African Education” Gala
Thursday, March 11, 2010 - 7:30 PM
Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrance, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois 60181
Pre-sale tickets: $50/person, $90/couple, $300/table of 8, $375/table of 10
Day-of-event tickets: $75/person at the door

For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.ieftz.org or email info@ieftz.org.


The Tanzanian culture, Maasai people, as well as IEFT’s impact on local communities had such a positive influence on Abbie, she felt compelled to return in March 2009 to volunteer for another month at Orkeeswa. She is hoping to build awareness of the cause locally by hosting an event aimed at raising funds for the continued operation of Orkeeswa Secondary School.

“I am honored to be hosting A Night for African Education for the second year in a row,” said Abbie DeSantis, IEFT volunteer and supporter. “I hope that everyone will come out and support such a great cause."

Guests will enjoy a presentation given by guest speaker, Ashley Holmer, Co-Founder & Executive Director of IEFT. Ashley will share her personal stories about working within local and international communities to create sustainable change, and the organization’s successes and progress in providing quality, affordable education for children in rural Tanzania. Other Chicago-area residents who have volunteered with IEFT will also share their stories of working with the organization to help change lives of children in Tanzania.

About the Indigenous Education Foundation of Tanzania (IEFT)
The Indigenous Education Foundation of Tanzania (IEFT) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit community-collaborative organization that provides quality, affordable secondary education to under-served indigenous children in rural Tanzania. IEFT empowers children to positively transform their own lives, improve their communities and break the cycle of extreme poverty, while working to preserve their culture and traditions. Through the development of Orkeeswa Secondary School in Lashaine Village, IEFT provides secondary education to children who have no hope of continuing their education past primary school. The opportunity to receive further education is the key to escaping extreme poverty for students and their families. www.ieftz.org.

Free Release Tuesdays at Kurman
This is part of Kurman Communications' Free Release Tuesdays series. Are you a non-profit or charity with an upcoming event? Let us help promote it with our new service, FRT- Free Release Tuesdays.

What is it? All you have to do is send us news on your upcoming event, including the details-- date/time, location, images, a link to a Web site, etc. We'll pick our top selections and post them on our highly-read blog! Got Buzz receives thousands of page views monthly by consumers and journalists who are looking for things to do and content to feature.

KCI is pleased to help you spread the news! Send all materials to kurmanstaff@kurman.com, and remember to follow us on Twitter @kurmanstaff.

Free Release Tuesday: "Spirit for Charity" tonight at Redhead Piano Bar

The Redhead Piano Bar along with Bushmills Irish Whiskey presents “Spirit For Charity” at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 2. The event features sampling of Bushmills Black and Bushmills Single Malt Whiskey (10 year, 12 year and 21 year) with a “Bushmills Expert” present to discuss the different samples.

With a recommended $10 donation, all proceeds benefit Partners In Health, an organization that has been in Haiti for more than 20 years. Come and show your support for Haiti, doors open at 6 p.m.

For more information visit www.theredheadpianobar.com or www.standwithhaiti.org. Follow The Redhead Piano Bar on Twitter @redheadpianobar.

Free Release Tuesdays at Kurman
This is part of Kurman Communications' Free Release Tuesdays series. Are you a non-profit or charity with an upcoming event? Let us help promote it with our new service, FRT- Free Release Tuesdays.

What is it? All you have to do is send us news on your upcoming event, including the details-- date/time, location, images, a link to a Web site, etc. We'll pick our top selections and post them on our highly-read blog! Got Buzz receives thousands of page views monthly by consumers and journalists who are looking for things to do and content to feature.

KCI is pleased to help you spread the news! Send all materials to kurmanstaff@kurman.com, and remember to follow us on Twitter @kurmanstaff.

Don't forget "A Night in Support of Haiti" tomorrow night!

Tickets are still available but going fast for Erie-LaSalle Body Shop's "A Night in Support of Haiti" 75th anniversary party, happening Friday, Feb. 26 from 5:30 p.m.- 9 p.m. at Martini Park (151 W. Erie St.).

Admission is $40 in advance ($50 at the door) and grants access to the open bar with wine, beer and specialty cocktails like the Erie Latini, Fender Blender, Haitian Mojito and more. Martini Park is also providing some of its signature appetizers to be passed during the party. Tickets can be purchased at www.erielasalle.com/haiti.

Special announcements will be made at 7 p.m. including an appearance from Illinois Governor, Pat Quinn.

Guests will also be able to purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win exciting prizes including a one-hour flight in an L-39 fighter jet donated by Bill Wert of Gauntlet Warbirds, plus gift certificates to Chicago's favorites restaurants like Mercadito, Wildfire, Keefer's, Fogo de Chao and Gino's East. Other prizes include a personal training session as well as a personal organizer session.

All proceeds from "A Night in Support of Haiti" benefit Partners in Health, a charity that has been working on the grounds of Haiti for more than 20 years. For more information about Partners in Health, visit www.standwithhaiti.com.

Erie-LaSalle Body Shop is celebrating 75 years as Chicago's premiere automotive repair business. Erie-LaSalle Body Shop is third-generation owned family business priding itself on quality customer service and quality craftsmanship, receiving the I-CAR Gold Class Professional certification. For more information, visit www.erielasalle.com.

Free Release Tuesday: Bowling for Brighter Futures

Strike up a good time while supporting better education for Chicago’s urban youth. Join the Inner City Teaching Corps for their “Bowling for Brighter Futures” event 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25 at 10Pin Chicago (330 N. State St.)

Tickets are $35 until Thursday, Feb. 18 and $40 after, or at the door. Guests enjoy two hours of unlimited soft drinks, finger food plus one drink ticket. Tickets can be purchased here. Be sure to select the “Special Event” fund and put your guest’s name in the comments section. Please bring a children’s book to benefit the Inner City Teaching Corps.

About Inner City Teaching Corps
Since 1991, the Inner City Teaching Corps (ICTC) has worked to impact the changing urban education landscape in Chicago and the nation. ICTC’s work in schools—training teachers, mentoring students, guiding principals—is transforming the educational landscape from the top down and bottom up. To learn more, visit http://www.ictc-chicago.org/.

Free Release Tuesdays at Kurman
This is part of Kurman Communications' Free Release Tuesdays series. Are you a non-profit or charity with an upcoming event? Let us help promote it with our new service, FRT- Free Release Tuesdays.

What is it? All you have to do is send us news on your upcoming event, including the details-- date/time, location, images, a link to a Web site, etc. We'll pick our top selections and post them on our highly-read blog! Got Buzz receives thousands of page views monthly by consumers and journalists who are looking for things to do and content to feature.

KCI is pleased to help you spread the news! Send all materials to kurmanstaff@kurman.com, and remember to follow us on Twitter: @kurmanstaff.

"A Night in Support of Haiti" presented by Erie-LaSalle Body Shop, Feb. 26

In honor of its 75th anniversary, Erie-LaSalle Body Shop is hosting a charity event "A Night in Support of Haiti" 5:30 p.m.-9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26 at Martini Park (151 W. Erie St.). Guests enjoy complimentary appetizers and an open bar with a $40 advance admission fee ($50 at the door), from which 100 percent is donated to Partners in Health, a charity that has been working on the ground for more than 20 years.

"As soon as I heard of the tragedy in Haiti, I felt compelled to my lend support. I was already planning Erie-LaSalle's 75th anniversary party, so it seemed like a great opportunity to tie the two together," says Erie-LaSalle Body Shop's owner Bob Gottfred. "Partners in Health is a natural fit for me because they have been established in Haiti for two decades. As a longtime business owner myself, I know the importance of going to someone you can trust."

Erie-LaSalle has been repairing and servicing vehicles at its Erie and LaSalle Street location since 1934, establishing itself as Chicago's premier auto repair shop.

Attendees are encouraged to RSVP to the event early by visiting www.erielasalle.com/haiti, although admission can be paid at the door for an additional $10. Admission includes an open bar with beer, wine and cocktails including four specialty martinis like the Erie-LaSalle Body ShopTini and Strawberry Basil Martini. Passed appetizers are provided during the event. Guests have an opportunity to win raffle prizes, and Martini Park's signature live band plays throughout the night.

Partners in Health (PIH) has been established in Haiti for more than 20 years. In addition to their efforts in Haiti, PIH works to bring modern medical care to poor communities in eight other countries around the world. The work of PIH has three goals: to care for patients, to alleviate the root causes of disease in communities and to share lessons learned around the world. To learn more visit http://www.standwithhaiti.com/.

About Martini Park
Martini Park, Chicago’s “Playground for Grownups”, debuted in Chicago in July 2007 at 151 W. Erie St. in River North. This unprecedented upscale lounge concept features a variety of live music every night, highly-acclaimed signature martinis and cocktails, as well as sharable plates of delectable food items, all within an atmosphere of world-class design. Specialty offerings include the Cucumber Martini, Strawberry Basil Martini, Apple-tini, Smoked Salmon Poppers and Kobe Beef Sliders. Martini Park’s team of seasoned professionals serves each guest with impeccable attention to detail, providing the highest standards in hospitality and service. Martini Park is open Monday – Friday 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. and Saturday 5 p.m. to 3 a.m.

Erie-LaSalle Body Shop is located at 146 W. Erie St. in Chicago. Valet parking is available. All proceeds from the 75th anniversary charity event go directly to Partners in Health. For more information about "A Night in Support of Haiti," please call (312) 337-3903 or visit www.erielasalle.com/haiti.

How much is Social Media Worth? $25k for Two Young Theater Companies

On December 16, 2009, Sideshow Theatre Company and The New Colony, two young, storefront theatre companies in Chicago, were awarded $25,000 each from Chase Bank. By harnessing the power of social media, both companies competed in a national pool of more than 200,000 non-profit organizations and collected enough votes on Facebook to successfully break the Top 100 charities and secure these grants. The grant is a huge achievement for both Sideshow and The New Colony, and the largest single grant awarded for either company to date. Only five theatres were awarded the grant nationwide, and Sideshow and New Colony are the only Chicago based theatre companies. Both companies were founded in Chicago in 2007.

“For companies like ours, with small budgets and no subscriber base, social media was our best marketing asset. It’s free, it’s global, and, with the right strategy, very powerful,” commented The New Colony’s Artistic Director Andrew Hobgood. “When we opened, one of the first company positions we created was a Social Media Manager. That role was critical to our audience development, and has remained our primary link and communication tool with our audience base. Chasegiving, however, has proven that social media is going to change more than just arts marketing. I expect that we will see more grants being awarded this way in the near future.”

Starting January 15, 2010, Sideshow and New Colony will compete against 98 other charities in Round 2 of the Chase Community Giving Grant, competing for the most votes and a chance at $1 million dollars in funding. The top five runners-up will receive $100,000 each, in addition to the $25,000 awarded in Round 1. Voting runs through January 22, 2010 and the Chase Community Giving Application will display a live leader board to track the Top 100 during the week of voting.

In Round 1, Sideshow Theatre Company and The New Colony took full advantage of Facebook and other forms of social media to tap directly into their audience base to gain an amazing outpouring of support. “As a company with a relatively young audience base, we're always challenged to find the ways to demonstrate that true support of a company is not just financial--it's not just big donations, though certainly that's a crucial element,” says Jonathan L. Green, Artistic Director for Sideshow Theatre Company. “I think this amazing show of advocacy for both Sideshow and The New Colony comes from a realization in our community that word of mouth is just as powerful as it is free. That sort of empowerment has been and continues to be a real focus for Sideshow.”

For Round 2, the two companies are joining forces to cross-pollinate and gather support from both audience bases and the Chicago theater community, with the hopes of helping each other remain competitive in voting for the second round. By partnering together, Sideshow and The New Colony aim to strengthen the storefront theatre and emerging artist community in Chicago.

While both organizations’ $1Million Big Ideas are not officially revealed until January 11 on Facebook, Sideshow and The New Colony are both focusing on investing in resources and development that will benefit the entire community of smaller storefronts in Chicago as well. Further, both companies are interested in cultivating new theatre audiences in Chicago, by making it easier, cheaper and more engaging for people to venture out and see a show.

Voting in Round 2 of the Chase Community Giving Grant is the fastest and easiest way for anyone to support a variety of amazing causes, including homegrown, locally based theatre. To find out more about the Top 100 charities and vote on Facebook, visit http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/. Individuals must become a fan of the Chase Community Giving Grant to be eligible to vote, and will receive a total of five votes, limited to one vote per organization. To learn more about Sideshow’s $1Million Big Idea and cast your vote, visit www.sideshowtheatre.org/chase. To learn more about The New Colony’s $1Million Big IDea and vote, visit www.thenewcolony.org/chase.

About Sideshow Theatre Company
Sideshow Theatre Company NFP is an Illinois-based company incorporated in November 2007, whose mission is to mine the collective unconscious of the world we live in with limitless curiosity, drawing inspiration from the stories, memories and images we all share to spark new conversation and bring our audience together as adventurers in a communal experience of exploration. Sideshow’s first production, Dante Dies!! (and then things get weird) by Walt McGough was hailed by the Daily Tribune as ‘vivid, intimate, and visually arresting’ and Time Out Chicago called Sideshow ‘impressive young talent at play.’ Since then Sideshow has produced three world premiere plays, including Everything Freezes, another winter’s tale by Walt McGough and Jonathan L. Green, and Ekphrasis: Cave Walls to Soup Cans, by E. Warren Perry Jr. Sideshow also produces CLLAW, the Chicago League of Lady Arm Wrestlers, an interactive fundraising event that benefits Sideshow Theatre Company and several other local charities. Past events have benefited Cornerstone Community Outreach, Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education, and New Leash on Life Animal Shelter. Sideshow Theatre Company is launching an Actor Workshop Series in February 2010, providing extremely affordable classes on performance and devising original work. Sideshow’s next production, Medea with Child by Pulitzer Prize nominee Janet Burroway, opens March 18, 2010 at La Costa Theatre at 3931 N Elston Ave. Chicago, IL. For more information on Sideshow Theatre Company, contact Managing Director Megan Smith at megan@sideshowtheatre.org, by phone at 312-206-8959, or visit our website at www.sideshowtheatre.org. Promotional materials including photographs, videos, interviews and other press info available upon request.

About New Colony Theatre Company
The New Colony was founded in November 2007 with a mission to collaboratively produce innovative world premiere theater being created by emerging artists for a contemporary audience. After a critically-acclaimed first season, Newcity magazine said of The New Colony, “they embody a self-perpetuating excitement for theater and each other that makes it easy to believe they may change the way new plays are made.” The New Colony’s break-out hit FRAT by Associate Artistic Director Evan Linder was listed as one of the Top Shows of 2009 in the Chicago Tribune, Newcity magazine, and Performink, where they were called “the company that really broke through this year…with three strong shows in a row.” Season Two saw a surge of audience support for The New Colony. Only two weeks after critics praised Calls to Blood, by company founder James Asmus, the show transferred to the Royal George Cabaret theater with a three-week extension. The New Colony’s next production, 11:11, by Evan Linder and Tara Sissom opens in the brand new Studio Theater at the Victory Gardens Biograph. 11:11 is supported in part by Victory Gardens’ Fresh Squezed Series, and opens February 8, running until March 13.

Be Naughty or Nice This Holiday Season

“Helping others is always a good way to celebrate the holidays, bringing cheer and making you feel good,” says Dr. Sandy Goldberg, founder of A Silver Lining Foundation (ASLF). The organization’s Auxiliary Board sponsors its second annual “Naughty or Nice” party from 8:30 p.m. until 11:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4 at Zella, (1983 N. Clybourn Ave., Chicago; 773-549-2910).

The event raises money to fund no cost mammograms for uninsured and underinsured individuals, and raises awareness of the need for early detection of breast cancer.

“A Silver Lining Foundation’s Auxiliary Board happily hosts our second annual holiday party to provide a potentially life-saving mammograms and related outreach and resource services for uninsured and underinsured individuals,” says Dr. Goldberg. “By celebrating the holidays and enjoying time with friends at Zella, we have the opportunity to make a huge difference in someone’s life. In this season of giving, what better gift is there?”

Tickets are $25, and can be purchased at the door or in advance at www.asilverliningfoundation.org/tickets.

Admission includes all-you-can-drink cocktails, wine (house brands) and domestic beers.

There will also be raffle with a variety of prizes, including sports tickets, and restaurant and spa deals.

For more information on ASLF, visit www.asilverliningfoundation.org.

Restaurant Michael's "86 Hunger" Dinner Nov. 18

The holiday season is about giving back, and Michael Lachowicz and Restaurant Michael have joined forces with Rick Bayless of Frontera Grill/Topobampo/Xoco; Jackie Shen of Red Light and other talented chefs as part of the Greater Chicago Food Depository’s inaugural “86 Hunger” dinner series. The event unites chefs and guests in an effort to end hunger in the Chicago community.

Join Restaurant Michael in taking hunger off the menu with this special opportunity Wednesday, November 18 from 6 p.m. – 10 p.m. Tickets are $150 per person and can be purchased at http://tinyurl.com/yh86msz. This event is open to a limited number of guests, so be sure to purchase tickets early.

The Greater Chicago Food Depository, Chicago's food bank, is a nonproft food distribution and training center providing food for hungry people while striving to end hunger in the community. The Food Depository distributes donated and purchased food through a network of 600 pantries, soup kitchens and shelters to 500,000 adults and children in Cook County every year. For more information, log onto www.chicagofoodbank.org or call (773) 247-FOOD.

About Restaurant Michael
Restaurant Michael, located at 64 Green Bay Rd in Winnetka, Ill. 60093, serves classic haute cuisine in a contemporary presentation with French country flair. The restaurant is open for dinner Monday through Thursday 5:30 p.m. -10:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 5:30 p.m. -11:30 p.m.; and Sunday 4:30 p.m.-9 p.m. The restaurant is open for lunch Fridays 11a.m. -2 p.m. Complimentary parking is available. Major cards accepted. For more information or to make a reservation, call (847) 441-3100 or visit www.restaurantmichael.com.

Share the Love with A Silver Lining Foundation This Sweetest Day

Don’t forget to celebrate Sweetest Day with A Silver Lining Foundation (ASLF). One donation can purchase a breast cancer screening mammogram for a sweetheart through ASLF’s Buy A Mom A Mammogram™ program. Buy A Mom A Mammogram™ funds no cost screening mammograms and follow up diagnostic testing when indicated to uninsured and underinsured individuals in a timely, dignified and respectful fashion. ASLF has provided 3,000 individuals with information about and access to no cost mammograms.

To donate, call ASLF at (312) 345-1322 or visit http://www.asilverliningfoundation.org/.

StreetWise Hosts Rooftop Gala to Honor Heroes and Champions of the Chicago Community August 21

StreetWise, the magazine that provides an income to Chicagoans who are homeless or at risk of being homeless, is celebrating its heroes and champions at a rooftop gala from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday, August 21 at the Rooftop Sculpture Garden (117 N. Jefferson, fourth floor). Guests can purchase individual tickets for $100, or a block of 6 tickets for $500. "Good Karma" donations are welcome at $50 each.

Come experience the sophisticated side of StreetWise and enjoy high-end cuisine, catered by Hot Chocolate, Santorini, Bluebird, Frontera Grill, Whole Foods and Map Room; spirits and live jazz entertainment by the TVK Orchestra, who are regularly featured at Green Dolphin Street. A silent auction will be held with items including art by Tony Fitzpatrick, art from Caste, travel packages, a Chicago Bulls VIP package and local artisanal jewelry.

Just as StreetWise encourages its vendors to grow, the organization continues to mold its mission. StreetWise has launched a new workforce training and education mission. The event will recognize individuals who have made a tremendous positive impact on the StreetWise community through the commencement of a Workforce Training and Education Program offering mentoring, higher-education, job training and life skills programs.

Featured guests of honor include Kevin Ward, a volunteer coordinating the one-on-one mentorship program that was a major factor in the success of this pilot project; John Reinsdorf, chairman of the Workforce Training and Education Committee and pioneer of the program and its partnership with Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED); and Alderman Manny Flores, a strong supporter and advocate of the StreetWise cause, who brought unparalleled attention to the importance of StreetWise to the Chicago community. The top five champion StreetWise vendors will also be present including Glen Hughes, Cloceal Holman, Roger Jacobson, Craig Barrow and Patricia Tillman who are all top LEED graduates.

The LEED Council higher education initiative offers mentoring, job training and life skills programs. The $100 contribution enrolls a StreetWise vendor in computer labs, career counseling and interview coaching. With the help of donations, StreetWise can continue to provide people displaced in the tough economy with the means to beat the streets and reach for the stars.

StreetWise sells for $2 per issue. Vendors purchase the magazine for 75 cents and the remaining $1.25 goes directly to the licensed StreetWise vendor. People are urged to make a financial contribution to help support StreetWise and the important mission it carries out. For more information or to make a contribution, please contact Bruce Crane at (312) 829-2526 ext. 13.

StreetWise is a 501(c)3 charitable organization. Contributions are tax deductable. For more information regarding the gala, or to donate, please visit www.StreetWise.org/gala.

Bull and Bear hosts official after-party for Chicago Gateway Green

As if the impressive celebrity participation and once-in-a-lifetime grand prize weren't enough to entice you to play in this charity tournament, Chicago Gateway Green is happy to announce that River North's newest luxury hot spot, Bull & Bear (431 N. Wells St., 312-527-5973) will host the official after-party for the July 15 event.

Every player will receive a wristband and complimentary drink ticket to redeem at Bull & Bear, plus a guaranteed no wait in line. For every player that attends the after-party, Bull & Bear will donate $5 to Chicago Gateway Green.

There's still time to purchase tickets! Visit www.greenpoker.eventbrite.com to get the hottest ticket in town.

McGowan Durpetti & Associates featured in BizBash

The July/August issue of BizBash magazine profiles Denise McGowan and Michelle Durpetti of McGowan Durpetti & Associates, a Chicago-based event production firm best known for producing Chicago Gateway Green's annual Green Tie Ball for the past two years.

"One summer night in 2007, a fortuitous thing happened while Michelle Durpetti--then an independent event planner--was on a riverboat cruise in Chicago. After years as a publicist at event planning and public affairs firm Jasculca/Terman and Associates, Durpetti had one thing left on her dream-job list: She wanted to work on Chicago's Green Tie Ball. 'I would have swept out bathrooms to work on that event,' she says of the Gateway Green's annual fund-raiser. 'It just seemed like the biggest and brightest and best of the social galas--I really wanted to be a part of it.'

Then, on that summertime cruise, Durpetti and Denise McGowan, another independent planner with 30 years of experience--including a nine-year stint as Navy Pier's entertainment director--who was then overseeing logistics for that summer's Green Tie Ball. A few days later, the two were working side by side as associate producers of the 3,000-guest event." --Jenny Berg, BizBash

The MD&A team is currently working on Chicago Gateway Green's 4th Annual Texas Hold 'Em charity tournament Wednesday, July 15 at Galleria Marchetti, and is set to once again produce the 2009 Green Tie Ball event for the third consecutive year. To read the complete BizBash article, press here.

For more information about the July 15 event, visit http://texasholdemtournamentchicago.blogspot.com.

(Photo: Nicole Radja, BizBash)

Celebrity participation at July 15 charity Texas Hold 'Em tournament for Chicago Gateway Green

Chicago Gateway Green is happy to announce several local media personalities and celebrities that are participating in the Fourth Annual Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament July 15 at Galleria Marchetti. Practicing their poker faces include TV personalities Jackie Tranchida from “Metromix” on CLTV, Marcus Riley from “24/7 Chicago” and NBC 5, Michelle Alegria from “190 North” on ABC, plus nightlife extraordinaire, Audarshia Townsend, the 312 Dining Diva.

Other players ready to get their game on include Chicagoan Mookie Lee from “Survivor: Fiji,” former Chicago Bears cornerback/kick returner, Jerry Azumah and State Senator, John Fritchey. This year’s event will be emceed by WBBM-FM B96 afternoon personalities, Stylz and Roman.

All proceeds from the event will benefit Chicago Gateway Green, a 501 (c)3 organization that has been dedicated to the greening and beautification of Chicago’s expressways, gateways and neighborhoods for more than 20 years. Tickets for this year’s event can be purchased at http://greenpoker.eventbrite.com/. For more information, visit http://www.gatewaygreen.org/.

Photos:
Mookie Lee, cbs.com
Jerry Azumah, MNJ Public Relations

Virtual Birthday Party to Raise $20,000 for Pediatric Cancer Research

Today is the birthday of Chicagoan Theresa Carter, better known to some as "The Local Tourist." Instead of presents or cake for her birthday this year, Carter wants to raise $20,000 for pediatric cancer research. Her deadline is tonight (May 8) at midnight.

The reason? Carter lost both sides of her family from cancer. Her maternal grandfather battled illness for 10 years, but finally lost his battle with cancer. Her paternal grandmother passed away less than two years ago from cancer.

On June 22, Carter will head to Tanzania, Africa with Endure to Cure founder Jason Sissel to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. For the geography buffs, Mt. Kilimanjaro is the tallest free-standing mountain in the world!

"Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro represents the struggle my grandparents endured before they died from cancer, and the struggle that every cancer victim must go through" says Carter. "It won't be easy, and it's going to be a lot of work, but there are also going to be moments of great beauty and joy. It's a pretty obvious metaphor for life, albeit an extreme one!"

Since she's celebrating her birthday virtually this year with the help of generous donations, Carter is the one dishing out the gifts. Four random people who donate will be chosen to accompany her with a guest on a special sunset Lake Michigan cruise June 7. The cruise will be aboard the Free Spirit Cruise's Gypsy Spirit. Two oether donors to Carter's cause will win four tickets for a Windy City Film Tour.

To make a donation for "The Local Tourist's" cause, visit her athlete page on the Endure to Cure Web site, here. Remember, the deadline is midnight tonight! For more information, contact Carter at (312) 828-7466 or via e-mail at tlc@thelocaltourist.com.

Save the Girls: A Silver Lining Foundation Is Looking For Junior Board Members

Join the Junior Board of A Silver Lining Foundation at Enoteca Piattini, 934 W. Webster Avenue in Chicago, on Thursday, May 29, from 6:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. as they host “Save the Girls,” a social and networking event which will raise money to help sponsor no cost mammograms for the uninsured and to promote the early detection of breast cancer. The evening features a selection of Italian tastes, including wine, beer and appetizers. Advance tickets are $25 and can be purchased at www.asilverliningfoundation.org/tickets, with $30 admission at the door. At the event, t-shirts will be available with a donation of $10 or more.

Launched in 2002 by Dr. Sandy Goldberg, a breast cancer survivor, A Silver Lining Foundation (ASLF) provides the underinsured and uninsured with information concerning cancer resources, treatment options and support services. All proceeds from the event go to ASLF's unique Buy A Mom A Mammogram™ program, which funds screening mammograms at The University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago, South Shore Hospital in Chicago, and Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights to qualifying women in a timely, dignified and respectful fashion. Since the Buy A Mom A Mammogram™ program's inception in 2006, ASLF has provided more than 2,000 women with information about and access to no cost screening mammograms. In response to the growing number of women needing follow up due to a possible abnormality, the foundation began funding diagnostic testing in 2007.