(DOWNERS GROVE, IL) – The Seventeenth Annual Barkapalooza, a fundraiser for the West Suburban Humane Society, will take place on Sunday, September 26, 2010, from 10am to 2pm at Patriot Park at 55th Street and Grand in Downers Grove, Illinois. This dog-friendly event allows pet owners, prospective pet adopters and all-around pet lovers to raise money for homeless pets through a Dog Walkathon. Participants are encouraged to collect pledges for the walk, and all proceeds will support the West Suburban Humane Society.
 
Visitors may also explore the Pet Expo, where a group of pet-focused vendors such as the K9 Cookie Company, The Happy Dog Barkery, Mark Pastor Photography, Belle Aire Kennels and Fabien’s Paw Station and others will be featured along with breed specific rescue groups. Owners may also have pets micro chipped for a discounted rate of only $35. A blessing for the animals will be given at 10am to kickoff the event, and the Frisbee Sky Dog Team will also do a demonstration. For the kids, there will be clowns, face painting and balloon sculptures, all free of charge, along with a “Kids and Kindness Zone”.
 
Once again, each participant in the Dog Walkathon can create their own Barkapalooza fundraising web page by logging on to www.firstgiving.com/wshs. When walkers set up their page through Firstgiving.com, they will be entered into a Split-the-Pot Raffle drawing.  For every $100 of donations received, another entry for them will be placed in the drawing.  The winner of the raffle is guaranteed a minimum $1,000 prize.
 
Visitors to Barkapalooza can enjoy a day of food, fun, music, and even receive a free goody bag for their pet.  Local restaurant, Chics and Salsa, will vend burritos, guacamole, chips and salsa, along with other food purveyors.  Registration is $10 per adult, and children 12 and under are free. Walkers with $100 or more in collected pledges will have their registration fee waived.  For more information on Barkapalooza, please visit www.barkapalooza.org.
 
About the West Suburban Humane Society
Founded in 1972 as a lost and found referral service, the volunteer based West Suburban Humane Society, located at 1901 West Ogden Avenue in Downers Grove, Illinois, is dedicated to operating an animal shelter for the purpose of finding safe, permanent, compatible homes through the adoption of domestic dogs and cats. Servicing the six counties of DuPage, Will, Cook, Kane, Kendall, Lake and McHenry, the WSHS believes in educating the community on humane and responsible dog and cat care as a means of ending the unnecessary euthanasia of adoptable companion animals, as well as controlling pet overpopulation by spaying and neutering all animals in their care and encouraging pet owners to do the same.  The WSHS works for animal advocacy, care and education through fundraising.  For more information about the West Suburban Humane Society or to donate, please call 630-960-9600 or visit www.wshs-dg.org .

The Smashing Pumpkins will perform a benefit concert next Tuesday, July 27 at Chicago’s Metro to raise money for medical care for Matthew Leone, bassist for Chicago band Medina Lake.  Tickets will go on sale Wednesday July 21 at noon and the information is below.

Last month, Madina Lake bassist Matthew Leone was hospitalized with severe brain trauma after intervening to stop a woman he passed on the street from being beaten by her husband.  Matthew had left twin brother Nathan’s Chicago apartment to meet a friend at a bar a few blocks away when he walked past the man beating his wife on the 1300th block of Ohio St. Even though the attacker was twice his size, Matthew immediately intervened and managed to subdue the attacker but as he waited for police to arrive, the attacker suddenly turned on Matthew, beating him severely.  He then walked away with his wife, leaving Matthew unconscious on the street.  Matthew was taken to UIC Hospital for emergency brain surgery wherein a third of his skull was removed to alleviate swelling.  He’s currently in stable condition awaiting an additional brain surgery to reapply the removed portion of his skull.  Alleged suspect Justin Pivec is currently charged with Aggravated Battery Causing Serious Bodily Harm and out on bail pending a forthcoming hearing.  As a musician, Matthew spends most of his life on tour and unfortunately his medical insurance had lapsed just two months prior to the incident.   Friends of the band and the Chicago music community are rallying to help provide for Matthew’s medical needs.

There will be a raffle for tickets.  Individuals can enter the raffle as many times as they wish for $10 each entry.  A majority of the venue will be sold to raffle winners.  Each winner will receive two tickets to the concert.  Tickets are not transferable and winners must show ID matching their raffle entry.  Raffle tickets will be available for sale through Metro website only beginning Wednesday July 21 at noon at http://www.metrochicago.com. The raffle will end at 2pm on Saturday July 24, 2010, and winners will be notified via email at 5pm on Saturday July 24, 2010.

There will also be a very limited amount of balcony VIP tickets put onsale for those fans who want to make a larger donation and ensure entry into this special event for $100 each.  Balcony VIP tickets will go on sale Wednesday July 21 at noon.

Additionally, a limited amount of soundcheck VIP tickets will be available for $500 each.  The soundcheck VIP event (approximately 30 minutes), set for the late afternoon, includes a meet and greet/photo with the Pumpkins and merchandise items, plus a seat at a table in the balcony for the show; this package is priced at $500 per person.  Soundcheck VIP tickets will be available Wednesday July 21 at noon at http://www.metrochicago.com.

All proceeds from the raffle and concert will go to the Matthew Leone Fund at Sweet Relief. Sweet Relief Musicians Fund is a non profit 501(c)(3) organization provides financial assistance to all types of career musicians who are struggling to make ends meet while facing illness, disability, or age-related problems.  For more information on Sweet Relief, visit http://www.sweetrelief.org.

Metro is the club where, on October 5, 1988, the Pumpkins truly landed on the musical map. They also chose the venue for a farewell concert on December 2, 2000, a four-hour-long show that featured 38 songs spanning the group’s career at that time.  The Pumpkins have a long history of supporting other Chicago musicians.

“Matthew and I have been completely overwhelmed by the outpouring of compassion and support during this impossible time. It has proved that there are far more amazing people in the world than any other kind and we’re grateful beyond words,” said Nathan Leone, Matthew’s twin brother and Madina Lake bandmate. “Being among the biggest Smashing Pumpkins fans in the world, we still haven’t processed the fact that they are contributing in such an unprecedented way.  Not only is this going to be a monumental event in our lives but more importantly it’s a massive statement against domestic violence, violence against women and violence in general.”

Tuesday, July 27:                                    ON SALE WEDNESDAY 7/21 @ NOON:

Q101 Welcomes…

A Benefit For Matthew Leone…

THE SMASHING PUMPKINS * KILL HANNAH

$10 raffle entry, $100 Balcony VIP tickets, $500 Soundcheck VIP Tickets / All Ages / Doors: 6:30PM /Show: 8PM

TICKETS:
All tickets will go on sale Wednesday, July 21 at noon at the Metro website, http://www.metrochicago.com.

Raffle Tickets – Raffle tickets are $10 per entry and you can purchase as many entries as you wish, but you can only win one pair of tickets.  Raffle ticket sales end at 2pm on Saturday July 24 and winners will be notified via email on Saturday July 24 at 5pm.  Tickets to the event are not guaranteed with the purchase of a raffle ticket.  Winning tickets will be redeemed the night of the show and the winner must arrive with their guest and a valid government ID to claim winning tickets.  All tickets are non-transferable.

Balcony VIP Tickets – A limited amount of balcony VIP tickets will be available for $100 each.   There is a limit of 2 balcony VIP tickets per person. Duplicate purchases via credit card number or billing address will be cancelled.  Balcony VIP tickets will be picked up at will call the night of the show and the ticket holder must arrive with their guest and a valid government ID to pick up tickets.  You will not receive your tickets until you enter the venue and there is absolutely no re-entry. All tickets are non-transferable.

Soundcheck VIP Tickets – A limited amount of soundcheck VIP tickets will be available for $500 each. There is a limit of 2 soundcheck VIP tickets per person. Duplicate purchases via credit card number or billing address will be cancelled.  Soundcheck VIP tickets will be picked up at will call the afternoon of soundcheck show and the ticket holder must arrive with their guest and a valid government ID to pick up tickets.  You will not receive your tickets until you enter the venue and there is absolutely no re-entry. All tickets are non-transferable.

Photo From: www.chicagoracetotaste.us

Registration for Humana Race to Taste Opens February 12!
18th Annual Race to Taste 5K Run/2-Mile Walk
Sunday, June 27 in Grant Park

Ready, set, race … your way to the Taste of Chicago. Humana Race to Taste 5K Run/2-Mile Walk is a Taste of Chicago tradition and is set for Sunday, June 27. Run/walk through Chicago’s beautiful Grant Park and lakefront, and stay for activities and great food at Taste of Chicago.

Registration for this annual event is available on-line beginning Friday, February 12 at www.chicagoracetotaste.us and is $35 per participant. There is no race day registration. The 5K Run/2-mile Walk will begin at 8:00 am at the corner of Balbo and Columbus and will be timed on d-chip. All participants will receive a commemorative NIKE Dri-FIT t-shirt in both men’s and women’s sizes. Also receive a complimentary strip of Taste tickets to enjoy the entire festival!

As the Taste celebrates its 30th year, Humana is pleased to extend their Taste of Chicago partnership to include the Race to the Taste. Humana has had a presence at the Taste since 2007, when it first introduced its Healthier Choices map that features lighter food options available during the festival. Humana believes it’s important to highlight the healthy side of the Taste, and the Humana Race to the Taste and Healthier Choices map provide Taste-goers with the chance to have fun and stay fit.

Race to Taste is presented by Humana, Hinckley Springs, Chicago Tribune, NIKE, United Airlines, Pepsi-Cola, Fleet Feet Sports, Domincks, Communications Direct, Chicago Transit Authority and Apple Vacations. For updates visit www.chicagoracetotaste.us and on Facebook, the Taste of Chicago page.

For more information on Taste of Chicago, visit www.tasteofchicago.us or call the event hotline, 312.744.3370 or TTY: 312.744.4964. For more information on Chicago, including help planning your trip, visit www.explorechicago.org.

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 www.standwithhaiti.com.

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.

It will be a different Valentine’s Day at Metro this year, as students from across Chicago join together on a day that celebrates caring for others in order to Rock and Raise money for the children of Darfur Sudan’s refugee camps.  Youth United for Darfur, a Chicagoland student coalition formed to help the people of Darfur, Sudan, caps off a month-long campaign in February to raise funds and awareness for Darfuri refugee children called Rock ‘N’ Raise for Darfur with a concert at Metro on February 14 to celebrate the efforts of students across Chicago and to raise additional funds.  Chicago musicians Madina Lake, The Blisters, Big Science and Brendan Kelly of The Lawrence Arms will perform at the event.

The people of the Darfur region of Sudan have experienced great hardship since the outbreak of civil war earlier this decade, with over 4.7 million people (of 6 million) affected by the conflict, and over 2.7 million displaced people living in camps across the region in Sudan and neighboring Chad.  Children make up 60% of the population of the camps, and is the case in many conflicts, have suffered loss of their schools and educational opportunities. Through a collective effort of over 50 Chicago schools and thousands of students, YUFD aims to fund an entire school in a Darfuri refugee camp at a cost of $57,500.  Proceeds will benefit the Darfur Dream Team’s Sister Schools Program, a new initiative of the Enough Project.

The event features wonderfully talented Chicago bands.  Headliner Madina Lake takes the listener on a unique auditory voyage across layer upon diverse layer of sound. Otherworldly atmospherics, epic guitars, intricate drum-work, melodic choruses, imposing bass lines, audacious instrumentation, and Nathan’s unpredictable, inescapable vocals all combine to make Madina Lake a band you can’t help but notice – and love.

The Blisters, teenagers who have been playing music together in Chicago since 2003, have quickly captured the attention of critics and fans, playing such venues as The Abbey, Millennium Park, Old Town School of Folk Music, and Lollapalooza. Consisting of Henry Mosher (vocals, bass), Hayden Holbert (guitar), and Spencer Tweedy (drums), The Blisters are a band to watch!
Big Science, consisting of friends Jason Hendrix, Jason Richards, Jason Clark and Jeremy Pena, released the self-produced/engineered EP The Coast of Nowhere in January of 2009. Over the last year, the band has polished their meld of the streamlined pop simplicity of new wave, the pragmatic minimalism of krautrock, the lyrical complexity of nineties indie rock, and the lush reverberating layers of shoe gaze.  Their sound is both intricate and expansive, with Richards and Peña providing a nimble and solid foundation over which Hendrix and Clark build echoing soundscapes.

Brendan Kelly of the Lawrence Arms and The Falcon has long been known for his punk music and punk political ideals. Fusing intelligent lyrics and hard driving punk music, Brendan is well known for his DIY ethics and support of independent musicians and clubs – truly living the punk life.

The Prelude Choir is a project of DePaul Univeristy’s music program.  Featuring first and second grade children, The Prelude Choir teaches a love of music along with singing skills.

Tickets are on sale now for the event.  A limited amount of VIP tables are also available for $100 each and include four tickets and reserved VIP seating. This event is open to all ages and starts at 4:30pm.

For more information, please visit
Rock N Raise – http://www.rocknraise.org
Youth United For Darfur – http://www.youthunitedfordarfur.org/

Sunday, February 14:            
Rock N’ Raise for Darfur Benefit…
MADINA LAKE * THE BLISTERS * BIG SCIENCE * BRENDAN KELLY of The Lawrence Arms * DEPAUL UNIVERSITY CHILDREN’S PRELUDE CHOIR
$10 – Limited $l00 VIP Tables (4 seats/4 tickets) / All Ages / Doors: 4PM / Show: 4:30PM
All proceeds will be donated to the Darfur Dream Team Sister Schools Program

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT:
Metro Box Office
Internet sales at www.metrochicago.com

This social networking event, hosted by the Auxiliary Board of the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago, is the perfect place to meet new people and support a great cause.  The crowd is typically full of philanthropic-minded, classy professionals and the up-scale venue provides the perfect setting for this Valentine’s Day themed installment of the Flirting for Disaster series.  Tickets are $20 and include free hors d’oeuvres, raffle prizes, live jazz entertainment, tarot card readings, $5 Effen martinis, and Remy Martin Cognac drink specials.

Where: Close Up 2-Live Smooth Jazz Club [website]
416 S. Clark [google map]

The Lincoln Park Chapter of the American Association of  Zoo Keeper’s is starting a new tradition on Saturday January 16th at 12:30pm.  Actual polar bear keepers will be jumping into Lake Michigan to benefit Polar Bear International and bring awareness to polar bears.

I have to tell you, I would NEVER do this! Brrrrrr…. But, I would certainly go and watch what happens when they do!  So grab your heavy winter coat, hat, mittens, scarf and thermos of hot chocolate and head over to North Avenue beach on the 16th to watch these crazy bear keepers jump into the water in their swim suits for the inaugural Polar Plunge!

When: Saturday January 16th, 2009
Where: North Avenue Beach [google map]

There aren’t many more holiday shopping events to take advantage of this season, but this Friday presents a big one: Fashion Frost, an evening of holiday fashion.  On Friday the 18th from 7 p.m. to midnight at the Chicago Center For The Performing Arts, this high end fashion show will take place featuring models strutting the runway in looks from incredible Chicago designers  (including the inspired looks of Rosina~Mae, Soledad Designs, Elda De La Rosa, Stiletto Squad, Horacio Nieto Jr., Yana Collection, Melanie Saldivar, Cobar, and Duvall).

There will also be live entertainment at this event from Chicago artists. It’s also offering gift bags (which are currentl valued at $300 each–and rising), raffles, complimentary cocktails and appetizers, and a silent auction. Oh, and you know it has awesome holiday deals on unique and innovative items from our talented local designgers.

The price for a ticket to the most likely last holiday fashion event of the year is $25. All proceeds to towards the Chicago Toy Drive.

The event will happen at the Chicago Center for the Performing Arts at 777 N. Green Street

Buy tickets here or call 1-800-838-3006 to experience to gift-buying, gift-giving (to the Chicago Toy Drive) fashion show-viewing and muuuuuch more. Get all the holiday cheer while you still can!

Commemorate World AIDS day and enjoy special treats from over thirty chocolatiers, restaurants and caterers.  This charity event, held at the Hilton Chicago in West Loop will include cocktails, an appetizer buffet, a holiday bazaar featuring unique, handmade gifts from Zimbabwe, and raffle prizes.  DJ Mark Picchiotti will provide the entertainment for the evening.  Tickets are $75-$100.

720 S Michigan Ave Chicago, IL 60605 maps.google.com Get directions