Category Archives: Benefits
World Of Chocolate Moves to new location December 6th
Experience a world beyond chocolate
THEE gala of the Holiday season, not to be missed! World of Chocolate will transform the Great Hall at Union Station
into a decadent adventure. Treat your palate to the sweet and savory
chocolate creations made by chefs, chocolatiers and caterers from all
over the city of Chicago. Tour through this wonderful world and start
your holiday season with a bang!
Featured Culinarians…..
| 90 Miles Cuban Café | Loni Loo’s Homemade Candies |
| Argo Tea | Mercat a la planxa |
| Bakers Man Chicago | minibar |
| Balsan Restaurant at The Waldorf Astoria Chicago | The Peninsula |
| Chicago365 Hospitality | Prasino La Grange |
| Chocolat Uzma Sharif | RL Restaurant |
| Das Foods | Sixteen |
| Dove Chocolate Discoveries | Starbucks |
| DS Tequila | Terry’s Toffee |
| Hilton Chicago | tesori |
| Just Like U Like It Catering | Uptown Brownie |
| Kendall College School of Culinary Arts | Vanille Patisserie |
| La Parisianne du Chocolat Company | Walgreens |
| La Taberna Tapas on Halsted | Wow Bao–Hot Asian Buns |
| Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts | ZED451 |
TICKETS START AT $125.
General Admission Ticket – $125 through Dec. 3 ($150 at the door) – PURCHASE
General admission ticket holders will enjoy sweet and savory chocolate
samples from 30 of Chicago’s finest culinarians in the Great Hall at
Union Station. Guests will also enjoy an open bar and light buffet.
Punchboard & Raffle Prizes will abound – give yourself your first
holiday gift! We’re raffling off three sets of airline vouchers; raffle
tickets available for purchase at the event and at 312-334-0961. $25
for 3 tickets, $50 for 7 tickets, $100 for 15 tickets.
Edge Alliance The YOU Ball November 16th
organizations whose contributions make our work possible. Last Year’s
YOU! Ball marked EdgeAlliance’s 20th anniversary. Join them on November
16, 2013 to celebrate the second annual YOU! Ball.
EdgeAlliance will host its 21st
Annual Gala, The YOU! Ball on Saturday,
November 16th, 2013 at 7:00 PM at Venue One in the West
Loop of Chicago. The party will benefit the nonprofit with funds going towards supportive
housing programs that will provide the children, families and adults at the campus
with a greater quality of independence.
Chefs from some of Chicago’s finest restaurants which include the
Signature Room at the 95th, Hearty Restaurant, Crew Bar + Grill
& Swirlz Cupcakes will create food stations featuring their signature
specialties! Event Sponsors include: CS Modern Luxury, Exit Strategy Realty,
Guaranteed Rate, and ROC Realty Group.
“As we enter our 22nd year of service, we invite everyone to join us
for a spectacular evening in urban chic attire while helping to raise money
that will positively impact the quality of life for hundreds of at-risk
families and individuals,” said EdgeAlliance Board Member and YOU! Ball
Event Co-Chair Kevin Rocio.
The YOU! Ball is the agency’s major annual fundraiser
which encompasses silent and live auctions featuring getaway vacations,
entertainment and sports memorabilia, elegant dining, wine tastings, golf
outings and more. “These additional funds will help support the critical
programs and services we provide,” said Kevin, “so our guests will be doing a
world of good by having an evening of fun.”
EdgeAlliance’s philosophy of housing is simple: it should be safe,
affordable, well-built and attractive. The developments should offer both
respite and permanent supportive housing options. They should be located in
areas where people are hurting. The housing should welcome diverse population
including children, teens, young adults, people in midlife, and senior
citizens. The property area itself should contain lots of green spaces and
garden space, and it should be a major part of community.
The ticket price for the party is $125.00
or $175.00 for VIP admission.BUY ONLINE NOW
For more than 21 years EdgeAlliance
has been a haven for individuals and families with special needs and medically
complex conditions. The private nonprofit’s mission is to assists its members in developing and
operating quality housing and providing life enriching services to vulnerable
individuals and families.
BEST GAY WEDDING in Chicago October 19th, 2013
This is going to be THE BEST GAY WEDDING in Chicago!
We met in July 4 1999 – and had a commitment
ceremony, exactly one year later, at the spot we met at.
Domestic Partnerships became available in Ilinois, we signed up!
joined 50 other couples on the steps of the Chicago History Museum, in a
mass Civil Union ceremony. One step closer
to marriage – but not quite there yet.
thing and passes the Marriage bill for our state. We would love to be
legally married on our 15th anniversary, July 4, 2014!
Minibar and MANY of our favorite local businesses have teamed together to do a $20,000 wedding package for 2 couples – and we are one of the couples! So we will be renewing our vows – for charity. This is the deal. NO GIFTS. We just ask that everyone make a $30 donation to Equality Illinois. HERE.
Get your tickets online now – or the day of, you can buy online – and there should be tickets at the door. But if you can buy online – that helps with headcount for food and such.
It’s going to be an
awesome event as minibar is transformed into a beautiful wedding space!
Ronnie Kroell will walk 921 Miles from Chicago to New York City
Ronnie Kroell and Elliot
London, Co founders of THE FRIEND MOVEMENT will walk 921 miles, Chicago
to New York
Kroell and London will walk 921 miles – over 37 days to raise awareness for increased bullying prevention efforts
across the country.
The walk, to coincide with National Bullying
Prevention Month, will begin on Saturday, Oct. 5 from The Bean in Millennium
Park in Chicago and end on Sunday, November 10 in New York City. Both men are
from Chicago, and decided to start their journey there.
London and Kroell launched the FRIEND MOVEMENT, in response to the increasing number of suicides being committed
as a result of bullying. Both men were subjected to bullying, and the
two were inspired to establish the
movement in the wake of the suicide of Tyler Clementi, a Rutgers University
student who jumped to his death off the George Washington Bridge in New York
three years ago after being severely cyber-bullied by his dormitory roommate.
And they have filmed a documentary, “Friend” about bullying which is
currently in final stages of production.
London said, ” It is so important for me to make this
film. Our goal is to showcase the struggles of present day teens, and adults
for that matter, being bullied with the technology that we have all embraced.”
“Tyler may have been a young gay man, but bullying does
not discriminate.” said film maker London. ” It affects people
of all races, ages, religions, genders, sexualities, socio-economic backgrounds
and more,” adds London. “And the impact of bullying is
profound. It can lead to a plethora of physical and psychological problems
that can be life-long, in addition to suicide, which, by the way, is the number
one cause of death among school and college students in the U.S.”
Individuals can join FRIEND
MOVEMENT by visiting its indiegogo campaign, https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/friend-movement-walk.
For a $20 donation, participants will receive a specially made FRIEND MOVEMENT
watch, as well as a purple ribbon that can be sent back, in a postage-paid
envelope provided by the movement, to The Tyler Clementi Foundation with a
personalized dedication to a friend or family member. Each ribbon will be
placed on the site of the closing ceremony of the walk in New York City.
FRIDAY – OCTOBER 4th 6:30 CENTER ON HALSTED……
FRIDAY – OCTOBER 4th – Meet and Greet at
HAMBURGER MARYS in Andersonville
OUT IN THE PARK raises $11,000 for Chicago House
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You! To so many people who were involved in making Out in the Park at Six flags Great America 2013 a huge success. BestGayChicago.com alone, could not make this event happen without the help and support from our peers. Our media sponsors Stacy Bridges and Mark Nagle from GRAB Magazine, Mark Mariucci from QUEST Magazine in Wisconsin, Bill Pritchard and the staff of ChicagoPride.com and the staff of Zona Rosa Magazine all donated thousands of dollars in advertising, well exceeding our expectations and everyone really pitched in and went above and beyond! And a huge thanks to Mini Cooper of Chicago, our co-producer.
We always say, It takes a village to pull this off. This is not the Michael and Derrick BestGayChicago.com show. It’s a community effort coming together for the greater good. And an All Inclusive event. Almost 5,000 people came out this year to support the event and were so grateful. Six Flags Great America is willing to give our community an entire private Sunday 11am to 6pm but we have to deliver 10,000 attendees-we will get to that point-we’re determined to make it happen, that is the end all goal and feel our community is ready to support an all day private event.
We all need to find our own ways to serve; our own ways to give back. Our business on its own cannot write a big check to charity. However, we have a sizable network within our business, the relationship resources, strong partners and advocates, and ideas to collaborate and bring the community together – and all help write this year’s check, for almost $11,000!! This check is not from BestGayChicago.com – it’s from the ENTIRE community. We were just the instruments to help make it all happen.
Thanks to Jess Godwin and Isaiah Grass for their super live vocal performances. Teri Yaki, Debbie Fox and Cyon Flare all helped entertain the crowds. DJ Matthew Harvat always delivers a great evening of music and this year Scarlet’s Scotty T and Team Scarlet got the evening off and running with a bang. Walgreens helped spread the word this year through many of their stores. Scarlet, Taverna 750, Charlies and Lucky Horseshoe also helped with promotions and support.
Thank you to all of the volunteers and brand ambassadors who helped us spread the word. And most of all – thank you to YOU WHO BOUGHT THE TICKETS and came out and had a great time!
It is a huge risk to orchestrate an outdoor event a year in advance in the Midwest. Thankfully, we had a gorgeous Fall day. Kohls had bought out the park for the next day for employees and their families, the temperature dropped dramatically and it rained and rained hard most of the day. How lucky we were that was not our day this year, we would have been very negatively affected.
Six Flags Great America also did an amazing job of emptying the park in a record 45 minutes. They closed to the general public at 7pm and were able to allow us to begin entering at 7:45pm into an EMPTY park.
We will be doing a similar Gay Days party at Six Flags St. Louis on a Saturday night, June 7, 2014 and we’ll be back to Gurnee next September on a Saturday night for Out In The Park 2014 as well. And we have one more AMAZING party event in the planning stages for 2014, a private, charity-based, Water Park, 12-hour Saturday Night Dance Party in late Winter/early Spring unlike anything the Midwest has ever been able to enjoy before….stay tuned for all the details.
Friend us, Follow us, LIKE us – to get all of the updates as they happen.
Michael Snell
Derrick Sorles
BestGayChicago.com
Chicago Fire LGBT Event Saturday September 28th
The Fire will be selling two ticket packages with a portion of the
proceeds going to benefit Equality Illinois and the fight for marriage
equality.
TICKET INFO:
$20 Corner Kick ticket
$32 Corner Kick ticket + Coach bus transportation
The event will include a pre-game tailgate and concert featuring Jess Godwin and Isaiah Grass in north end parking lot.
$50 Tickets Released for Coco Peru this Weekend
Award-winning
comedy/cabaret performance artist, storyteller and monologist, Miss
Coco Peru, aka Clinton Leupp, got his/her start as a downtown favorite
in the cabaret world of New York after he wrote, produced, directed, and
starred in his first show “Miss Coco Peru in My Goddamn Cabaret” 20
years ago.
on TV and in theater and movies. On screen, Miss Coco is best known for
her roles in Jim Fall’s Fineline feature film, trick (Sundance 1999) and
Richard Day’s IFC feature length comedy Girls Will Be Girls.
September 20 and September 21 | 6 PM
Center on Halsted, Hoover Leppen Theatre
Includes Seated Dinner and Open Bar
VIP: $250 | General Admission: $150
ALERT! a LIMITED NUMBER of $50 tickets just released! (show only)
GET THEM WHILE THEY LAST!
OUT IN THE PARK September 14th, 2013. Don’t Be Left Without a Ticket
Coco Peru Comes to Center on Halsted September 20-21
Award-winning
comedy/cabaret performance artist, storyteller and monologist, Miss
Coco Peru, aka Clinton Leupp, got his/her start as a downtown favorite
in the cabaret world of New York after he wrote, produced, directed, and
starred in his first show “Miss Coco Peru in My Goddamn Cabaret” 20
years ago.
on TV and in theater and movies. On screen, Miss Coco is best known for
her roles in Jim Fall’s Fineline feature film, trick (Sundance 1999) and
Richard Day’s IFC feature length comedy Girls Will Be Girls.
September 20 and September 21 | 6 PM
Center on Halsted, Hoover Leppen Theatre
Includes Seated Dinner and Open Bar
VIP: $250 | General Admission: $150
.
OUT IN THE PARK 2013 Weekend of Parties in Chicagoland
Celebrate 20 years of Restoration Salon August 24th
$20 suggested donation. Doors open at 7pm Hair/Fashion show at 8pm
Please bring checks or cash for Donation and raffle tickets!
LOST IN SPACE @ Sidetrack – benefit for ALCC August 14th
the incredible silent auction.
hot swag bag) plus 130 other auction items if you join us on August 14 at Sidetrack The Video Bar.
AIDS Run and Walk Chicago September 28th
.Area runners invited to help support life-saving HIV/AIDS care, prevention, and housing programs
WHAT: More than 3,500 runners will lace up their shoes and join in the fight against HIV/AIDS during the 12th Annual AIDS Run & Walk Chicago, September 28. The AIDS Run & Walk Chicago is the Windy City’s largest annual fundraising run/walk for HIV/AIDS.
This year’s event kicks off at Chicago’s iconic Soldier Field with the 5K and 10K courses winding along the lakeshore.
Funds
raised through the AIDS Run & Walk will benefit programs and
services for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago and 34 other city
organizations that work with more than 25,000 people living with
HIV/AIDS in Chicagoland. Since its founding in 2001, AIDS Run & Walk
Chicago has netted more than $4 million to battle the epidemic.
To register, donate, or learn more, visit www.aidsrunwalk.org or call (312) 334-0946. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
WHEN: September 28, 2013
8:00 a.m. Event registration and packet pick-up
9:00 a.m. Opening ceremonies
9:30 a.m. 5K Walk begins
9:45 a.m. 10K Run begins
9:50 a.m. 5K Run begins
10:00 a.m. Post-race entertainment
COST:
Event registration is $30-$45 in advance; $50 on-site. Registration
includes the official t-shirt and other benefits. To register as a
fundraising individual or as a team, visit aidsrunwalk.org or call (312) 334-0946.
WHERE: Soldier Field, 1410 Museum Campus Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60605
Blacklight Throwback Open Mic July 20th, at Bonsai Bar for Center on Halsted
Center on Halsted’s quarterly “Blacklight” open mic and entertainment series will return on Saturday, July 20 at 7 p.m. The event will take place at Bonsai Bar & Lounge, located at 3503 N. Halsted St., Chicago, Ill.
The
event theme is “Burlesque.” Entertainers are welcomed to talk, sing, or
dance creatively about Burlesque or another topic. While the mic is
open to anyone, Center on Halsted asks that all entertainers present
respectful content.
Entry is $10 dollars. For more information, contact Renauda Riddle at (773) 472-6469 or rriddle@centeronhalsted.org.
Chicago Gay Mens Chorus SOME LIKE IT HOT July 29th
.
CHICAGO GAY MEN’S CHORUS
QUENCHES THE SUMMER WITH A COOL CABARET SHOW
WHAT:
Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus (CGMC) is extending their 30th season into the summer with a new cabaret show: “Some Like It Hot.”
CGMC provides two show times under the direction of Jimmy Morehead and
L. T. Johnson at Lakeview’s newest comedy club, the Laugh Factory.
Song selections include swingin’ standards like Night and Day and Another Hot Day in Harlem, showtune favorites like Too Darn Hot, and current hits from Adele and Esperanza Spalding.
Tickets are on sale for $25 for general admission and $50 for VIP seating (7:15 show only) – both with a two drink minimum. VIP ticket holder’s reception will be hosted from 6:00 p.m.- 7:15 p.m. with drinks – plus hors d’oeuvres from LM Restaurant Group. For tickets and more information, visit www.laughfactory.com/
WHEN/WHERE:
- Monday, July 29, 2013 – 7:15 p.m. AND 9:30 p.m. Laugh Factory- 3175 North Broadway; Chicago, IL 60657
Pride and Joy Rooftop Dance Party June 28th
Halsted hosts a Pride Dance Party on our fabulous rooftop deck
overlooking the skyline from 5:30-9:30 pm. We host over 250 community
members and allies to dance in celebration of the advancement of the
LGBTQ movement while listening to music provided by DJ Marc “Moose”
Moder and the evening’s host, Cyon Flare. In what has become one of
Boystown’s most celebrated parties, it is sure to be an evening of
celebrating community as we look to the years ahead.
$20 admission includes 4 drink tickets that include Full-Bar Service.
21 and up 3656 N. Halsted Street, Chicago, Illinois 60613
Purchase tickets here:
Dance for Life Chicago August 17th
Dance for
Life:
Chicago’s Leading Dance
Troupes Unite to Raise Funds for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Services on Aug. 17
WHAT: Experience a night of
breathtaking dance as five of Chicago’s top companies unite on a single stage during
Dance for Life, the largest
performance-based AIDS fundraising event in the Midwest.
With passionate music
and powerful choreography, this highly anticipated event is held annually to
raise awareness and funds for HIV/AIDS care, education and prevention while
promoting the art of dance in Chicago. Since 1992 Dance for Life has raised millions of dollars to support the cause.
This year, Dance for Life hosts two exciting,
world-premiere performances by renowned choreographers Randy Duncan, Harrison
McEldowney and Jeremy Plummer as part of the evening’s eight performances. 44th Ward Alderman Tom Tunney will
serve as this year’s honorary emcee.
Funds raised through
this year’s Dance for Life benefit
the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, the Dancers’ Fund and Chicago House.
WHO: Participating Companies Include:
·
Giordano
Dance Chicago
·
Thodos
Dance Chicago
·
River
North Dance Chicago
·
Hubbard
Street Dance Chicago
·
DanceWorks
Chicago
·
Independent
artists Abigail Simon and Mauro Villanueva
WHEN: Saturday, Aug. 17, 2013
5:00 p.m. – Gala Reception –
Hilton Chicago International Ballroom (720 S. Michigan Ave.)
8:00 p.m. – Dance
for Life Performance –
Auditorium
Theatre (50 E. Congress Pkwy.)
*Complimentary
shuttle bus service provided between the two venues.
COST: $50-$75 (performance only)
$200- $500 (includes
admission to 5:00 p.m. gala reception and premiere seating at the performance)
To purchase tickets,
please call 312-922-5812 or visit www.danceforlifechicago.com
WHERE: Performance – Auditorium Theatre, 50 E.
Congress Pkwy., Chicago
Gala Reception – Hilton Chicago, 720 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago
Connect
with Dance for Life on Facebook!
About
Dance for Life
Dance
for Life raises awareness and funds for HIV/AIDS care, prevention
and education, while promoting the art of dance in Chicago. Realizing that AIDS
had heavily affected the dance community, Dance
for Life was founded in 1992 as an inventive way for dancers and dance
companies, whose incomes do not normally allow for large donations, to be able
to contribute time, effort and badly needed funds for existing AIDS agencies.
Check us out online on the Dance for Life
website or on Facebook.
About
the Dancer’s Fund
The Dancers’ Fund, a funding program of Dance for Life,
was created in 1994 as a one of a kind fund with the mission to provide
emergency financial assistance to dancers living with HIV/AIDS and has since
expanded to include any life-threatening illness. The Dancers’ Fund provides
immediate financial assistance for those facing life-threatening illness,
injury or circumstance. Designed to help qualified individuals meet their
immediate financial obligations while dealing with life-threatening conditions,
The Dancers’ Fund is available to Chicago-based, professionally trained working
dancers and those whose primary source of income is derived by serving the
dance community.
Music with Pride Concert and Benefit TEAM TO END AIDS
MUSIC WITH PRIDE –
Music with Pride: A Tribute to Gay Composers is a fundraising concert
dedicated to sharing the tradition of LGBT composers from the classical
and contemporary periods.
Come celebrate Pride 2013 with music and
hear a group of young, talented local performers and learn about
composers like Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, Samuel Barber and
more! It is sure to be an evening filled with music and fun.
For
information about the performers see the “speakers” section.
Admission
is free! $10 suggest donation at the door.
Reserve a seat online.
All donations go towards
Team to End AIDS and the AIDS Foundation of Chicago.
