2012 Casino Night Fundraiser a Great Success!
The Dempster Foundation stepped back in time to host the Third Annual Casino Night on Wednesday May 9, 2012 at the Palmer House Hilton.
The Roaring Twenties was the theme this year as colorful flapper girls roamed the house greeting guests and selling raffle tickets. The night included a sold out VIP party and the main event in the Grand Ballroom. Guests mingled with Ryan, the Chicago Cubs and other celebrity friends from the sports and entertainment industries. Guests enjoyed a full spread of delectable dishes and delicious drinks, courtesy of Wildfire, Cupcakes for Courage, Garrett’s Popcorn, Iron Chef Jose Garces’ restaurant, Mercat a la Planxa, Budweiser and William Grant and Sons, as well as fun casino games and live entertainment. Musical guests included Singer/Songwriter Crystal Bowersox and Chicago Mainstay, John Vincent.
In addition, Casino Night this year included a candy bar and a diamond bar courtesy of Judith Ripka Jewelry and Candyality. Guests were also entertained by magicians and fun photos with props in our photo booth by That’s a Keeper Chicago and Glitter Guts.
PHOTOS FROM 2012 CASINO NIGHT
Celebrities attending the event and serving as Casino dealers included: Chicago Cubs players including Ryan Dempster, Kerry Wood, Alfonso Soriano, Matt Garza, Darwin Barney and others; front office executives including Theo Epstein, Coach Dale Sveum and more; Co-host of ABC 7′s Windy City LIVE, Ryan Chiaverini; Eric Ferguson and Kathy Hart, hosts of the Eric & Kathy Show on WTMX-FM The MIX; NBC 5’s Stefan Holt and Daniella Guzman; wrestling star C M Punk; MLB Hall of Famer and Mr. Cub Ernie Banks; NHL players Chris Chelios and Brian Campbell and more. (Please see complete list attached for others).
Guests had the opportunity to bid on one-of-a-kind auction packages, experiences, and sports memorabilia through both a live and a silent auction. This year’s live auction featured an authentic baseball signed by baseball legends Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Through the Dempster Family Foundation, proceeds from the sale of the baseball benefited the new state-of-the-art facility, the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, opening June 9th. Other items in the auctions included: a “Man Cave” Package from Abt valued at $3,000, a 2 night stay at Reynolds Plantation Golf Resort and Spa in Georgia, a Ryder Cup package with all of the trimmings, a NASCAR race experience from Chicagoland Speedway, a behind the scenes tour of the MLB Network and a visit to the NFL on FOX Sports set to meet Terry, Howie and the gang, among other autographed sports memorabilia and specialty gift certificates.
Sponsors to date include our MVP sponsors: Aloha Document Services, Sloan Valve, Steve and Sheila Sutherland, William Grant and Sons, The Madonna Family and Budweiser; All Star Sponsors: Aria Vegas, Atlantis Cars & Limos, Inc., Bernie’s Inc., Black Tie Formal Wear, Chicago Cubs, D’Agostinos Pizza and Pub, Horseshoe Casino, Sidley Austin, and Tom and CeCe Ricketts; and Dugout Sponsors: PMR, Landis Baseball Group, Mercat a la planxa and Wildfire. NBC Chicago was back for a second year as Media Sponsor.
This year’s Third Annual Casino Night raised over $350,000. The funds raised this year through the event will support The Dempster Family Foundation’s third grant cycle this Fall for both children and families affected by 22q11.2 deletion (DiGeorge Syndrome/VCFS), and other select local children’s charities.
The Dempster Family Foundation provides financial support to charities in the Chicagoland area which assist and comfort critically ill children. The Foundation also supports youth baseball programs, military families and animal shelters; and promotes awareness of, and offers hope for families of children diagnosed with a 22q11.2 deletion. On the 22q side, the Foundation empowers organizations to help children with this disorder overcome difficult situations through: providing funding to continue research for early detection of this disorder in children; supporting programs about 22q that provide education, physical therapy and activity to promote long-term well being; creating initiatives that build and instill confidence in these children; and developing a 22q network for families affected by this disorder to share stories and help navigate healthcare options and treatment.
CELEBS IN ATTENDANCE
Ernie Banks – Former Cub
Darwin Barney -Cub
Chris Bosio – Cubs Coach
Michael Bowden – Cub
Mike Burzello – Cubs Coach
Shawn Camp – Cub
Tony Campana – Cub
Brian Campbell – Florida Panthers
Adrian Cardenas – Cub
Lendy Castillo – Cub
Wellington Castillo -Cub
Starlin Castro – Cub
Chris Chelios – Former Blackhawk & Detroit Redwing
Ryan Chiaverini – host of WLS-TV’s Windy City LIVE Show
Scott Clevenger – Cub
Jody Davis – Former Cub
Mark DeCarlo – Windy City Live
David DeJesus – Cub
Ryan Dempster – Cub
Rafael Dolis – Cub
Eric Ferguson – host of WTMX Radio’s the Eric & Kathy Show
Franklin Font – Cubs Coach
Matt Garza – Cub
Kathy Hart – WTMX Radio’s the Eric & Kathy Show
Greg Holcomb – Mustangs
Todd Hollandsworth – former Cub
Rudy Jaramillo – Cubs Coach
Reed Johnson – Cub
Bryan LaHair – Cub
Andrew Lane – Cubs Coach
Jon Lieber – Former Cub
Pat Listach – Cubs Coach
Paul Maholm – Cub
Joe Mather – Cub
Carlos Marmol – Cub
Dave McKay – Cubs Coach –
Rich Nye – Former Cub
Dave Otto – Former Cub
Donn Pall – Former White Sox & Cub
Billy Pierce – Former White Sox
Jamie Quirk – Cubs Coach
James Russell – Cub
Jeff Samardzija – Cub
Alfonso Soriano – Cub
Geovany Soto – Cub
Ian Stewart – Cub
Lester Strode – Cubs Coach
Dave Sveum – Cub Manager
Chris Volstad – Cub
Kerry Wood – Cub
ADDITIONAL CASINO NIGHT COVERAGE:
VIDEO: Catching up with the Cubs at Casino Night (ESPN.com)
NEWS: Cubs’ Dempster: ‘The results will start coming’ (Chicago Tribune)
NEWS: Casino Night Coverage from “Go Cubs!”
PHOTOS: Event Photos from GlitterGUTS.com
NEWS: Casino Night coverage from Deerfield SunTimes
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