Signature Events
Dining & Conversation
With the help of our gracious Luminaries and talented Celebrity Chefs,
we were proud to present an evening worthy of being shared with you in 2019.
As a result of your warm and uplifting conversation we are delighted to announce
that Dining & Conversation will be held again in 2020.
Please visit us again in late 2019 for more details.
2019 Sponsor
Luminaries & Celebrity Chefs
2019 Luminaries
Christian Bale, Academy Award Winning Actor
Sibi Bale, Film Production Specialist
Lou Canellis, Fox Sports Anchor
David Eigenberg, Actor, Chicago Fire
Josh Earnest, Chief Communications Officer, United Airlines
Zach Filkins, Grammy Nominated Lead Guitarist, OneRepublic
Gillian Flynn, Best-Selling Author and Screenwriter
Elayne Granger, Director, AT&T External Affairs
Leslie Hindman, Founder + Chair, Leslie Hindman Auctioneers
Star Jones, Attorney, Television Host, and Journalist
“Candid” Candace Jordan, Award Winning Media Host and Personality
Adam McKay, Academy Award Winning Director and Screenwriter
Jamie Rhee, Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA), Commissioner
Dr. Stuart Strahl, President & CEO, Chicago Zoological Society
Scott Turow, Author & Attorney
Anna Valencia, City Clerk of Chicago
2019 Emcee
Micah Materre, Emmy Award Winning Journalist and Anchor, WGN Evening News
2019 Celebrity Chefs
Tony Priolo, Executive Chef, Piccolo Sogno (Dining & Conversation 2019 Lead Chef)
Louie Alexakis, Chef, Partner and Managing Member, Avli
John Coletta, Founding Chef and Partner, Quartino Ristorante
Frederico Comacchio, Executive Chef, Coco Pazzo
Graham Crowe, Mixologist, TWO
Kevin Cuddihee, Executive Chef, Porter Kitchen and Deck
Chris Gawronski, Executive Chef, The Gage Chicago
George Jewell, Owner, Jewell Events Catering
Dan McGee, Executive Chef, Swissôtel Chicago
Ryan Pitts, Executive Chef, RL Restaurant
Liz Plascencia, Pastry Chef, Swissotel Chicago
Tom Van Lente, Executive Chef and Owner, TVL Culinary
To see further past Luminaries and Celebrity Chefs, click here.
Evening of Hope
Join SOS Children’s Villages Illinois for an evening powered by innovation.
This year we honor our builders and visionaries, who keep us charged to continue breaking new ground.
October 10, 2019
VIP Reception beginning at 5:30PM; Main Event beginning at 6:00PM
Museum of Contemporary Art
220 E. Chicago Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
More information on the event, tickets, and sponsorships are available by clicking here.
Please contact Amy Kaczmarek, Director of Development, at 312-372-8200 or akaczmarek@sosillinois.org.
All-Village Graduation Celebration
It’s commencement season for many throughout the nation, and at SOS Children’s Villages Illinois, we are fortunate enough to mark this momentous time for our graduates in a special way.
On Friday, June 23, 2017, staff, children, Foster Parents, and our extended family (corporate partners and supporters) all gathered for a collective celebration of our 2017 graduates at our Lockport Village. It is an event, now in its second year, to honor the children, let loose with field games, and enjoy being together as a community. This year a book fair was sponsored by KPMG. Children were able to choose new books to take home for some exciting summer reading.
STEAM Expo
A crucial component of the Early Leaders tier of the College Bound and Beyond Program is STEAM education for children ages 12-16. Our Annual STEAM Expo – previously called STEM Expo – allows for an immersive, hands-on experience with exciting areas of science, technology, engineering, art, and math. Alongside our partners, including the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation and Swissôtel Chicago, the STEAM Expo helps us reinforce our STEAM curricula, grow our educational programming, and deliver memorable developmental opportunities for youth in foster care. This year, our STEAM Expo is themed around Black History Month, offering youth a glimpse into the groundbreaking, revolutionary impact of Black leaders across STEAM industries and fields.
Harvest Day
Annual Meeting
Interested in hosting your own event to benefit SOS Illinois or learning about any of the events listed above? Please contact us to let us know how we can support you! Events open to the public can be shared on our website and social media pages.