Category — Charities and Non-Profits

JenChicago, NBC Chicago Street Team

There’s something funny going on in River North on Tuesday, October 20^th. Sarah Vargo of Maven and Fred Farris of Key Management have teamed up with The Joynt to host Stand Up Against Cancer which benefits local charity Imerman Angels. The party and the awareness are going down at 650 N. Dearborn (@ Erie) and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate all the good things that are happening under Johnny Imerman’s inspiration!

The show starts at 6:30 and features a laundry list of talented comedians along with headliner Kira Soltanovich, from Girls Behaving Badly and The Phony Phone Booth on The Jay Leno Show. Have you seen this bit? It’s hilarious! What WON’T people do for a free picture?!?! You can find the clips here or check it out in this week’s edition of The SAUCE, hosted by Yours Truly, below. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door with limited seating.

*PRESS RELEASE*

**Hugs and Kisses from JenChicago.com!

JenChicago, NBC5 Street Team

The fun never stops in Chicago and this past Cinco de Mayo was another full night of fun! Youth Technology Corps is a local non-profit that came from extremely simple beginnings. Founder Dave Finkel gave some computers to some inner-city Chicago teens, who then figured out how to refurbish them on their own! This program now has the original teens doing outreach and being mentors in other countries like Mexico, thus the tie in with Cinco Del Soul.

As you can see, the event was skillfully executed with me as the host emcee for the night! Special thanks to Katie Bormaster, who invited me to participate and planned the entire event, including the video production! That girl called in a lot of favors with her very talented friends!

To find out more about YTC or to donate, click here.

PS: Can you hear me losing my voice?

YTC’s Cinco del Soul Party! from Jen Knoedl on Vimeo.

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JenChicago, NBC5 Street Team
It’s funny how life has a way of teaching us.  It brings us the lessons that we need exactly when we need them.  Then, it is our choice, whether or not we use that insight, as we navigate through life.

How many of us were speechless and reminded not to judge a book by its cover when we heard Susan Boyle sing on “Britain’s Got Talent” this season? I personally got goosebumps and teary-eyed.

Or how inspiring is it to you to know that the man in this video, is the same Michael Jordon that didn’t make the Varsity basketball team the first time he tried out?  That’s right, but good ol’ MJ wasn’t about to let that stop him!

And when I met Mike Berkson, I was inspired again.  I met Tim Wambach, the president and founder of the Keep On Keeping On Foundation (KOKO), at the Share the Love Date Auction.  After chatting with Tim for a just a few minutes about the foundation, I wanted to know even more.  Tim told me if I really wanted to understand, that I should talk to Mike.  So I did.

I met Tim and Mike at The Gage (LOVE that place!) and we talked about life for well over an hour. I was so moved by our chat, I called family and friends that afternoon and told them how much I loved them.  I reminded them how fortunate we all really are and about my renewed perspective. Mike can’t even scratch his own nose, and yet he finds meaning, purpose and gratitude for life.

We can all find reasons to be happy.  Obstacles can be opportunities, if we choose to see them.  When we think we’ve been knocked down, we can wallow in the dirt, or we can get up.  We can brush ourselves off.  We can choose our focus… and we can “Keep On Keeping On”.

Keep on Keeping on Foundation from JenChicago on Vimeo.

PS: Help us spread the word about the Keep On Keeping On Foundation (comment, forward, digg, linkback), volunteer or donate!
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JenChicago, NBC5 Street Team
It was a HUGE success! Arthur Murray’s Fourth Annual “Dancing with Chicago Celebrities” raised $67,000 for the Chicagoland Area Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®,and what a fun way to do it! All of the toe-tapping fun went down on Friday, March 13, 2009, when Chicago celebrities paired with Arthur Murray professional dance instructors at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.

The winning team included Dana Kozlov, Assignment Reporter from CBS 2, and her Arthur Murray partner Edgar Chavarria. The MVP went to Robbie Ventura, who along with his team raised the most – $4,680. Other celebrities competing included Pat Cassidy, Radio Personality on WLS 890 AM, Lourdes Duarte, Assignment Reporter for WGN 9, Daryl Hawks, Sports Anchor and Reporter for NBC 5, Evelyn Holmes, Assignment Reporter for ABC 7, and Katie Lorenz, Miss Illinois 2008. The night’s emcee was NBC 5 Sports Anchor, Mike Adamle. WGN Anchor Dina Bair, NBC 5’s Meteorologist, Ginger Zee and ABC7’s Traffic Reporter Roz Varon also returned as alumni.

Dancing with Chicago Celebrities! from Jen Knoedl on Vimeo.

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JenChicago, NBC5 Street Team

Last week I had a chance to learn about an organization called Hadassah. Hadassah Chicago Chapter is a Jewish organization that started in 1913 and promotes Zionist ideals in the United States, Israel and throughout the world. What these women and men have been able to accomplish in the past 94 years, is nothing short of outstanding. From funding hospitals and colleges to being the leader in stem cell research, Hadassah is making a huge difference in the lives of so many.

Hadassah Chicago Chapter alone raises TWO BILLION each year to support their programs! The group continues to grow in the Chicago area with events like the one I went to recently at LUXBAR. The food was outstanding and Bridget Albert, the Master Mixologist, whipped up some delightful concoctions with some of my favorite new liquors, like Pama. Everyone was kind, informed and obviously very dedicated to the cause. I learned so much about Israel, after chating with Howard Kaplan, that it is now on my list of “places to visit”! Howard described the Israeli landscape as “downtown Miami beach” and even went on to call Israel a “junior America”!

Overall, this is an amazing organization that knows very clearly their purpose and the impact that people can make when they join together for a common goal. In the words of Fran Givertz, President, “Yes, times might seem tough, but Hadassah is tougher.”

To find out more about Hadassah Chicago Chapter check here. If you are ready to help support the initiative, on April 30, Chicago Hadassah hosts their largest fundraiser of the year starring hot Israeli dance company Renana Raz and teens from the Hadassah Neurim Youth Village. All proceeds benefit Hadassah Neurim, which each year gives 1,200 at-risk Israeli children the education and confidence building they need to succeed and help their country. For tickets and sponsorships, call 847.675.6790.

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JenChicago, NBC5 Street Team

When Sarah sent me the email asking if I would participate in Maven’s Date Auction I hesitated only for a moment before deciding… OF COURSE!  After all, everybody knows that date auctions are fun… right?  And since I AM a Funologist, it just stands to reason that this event is RIGHT up my alley!  It was a charity event to boot and I had a great chat with Tim about The Keep On Keeping On Foundation at one of my favorite spots downtown, Martini Park!

Though I didn’t get a chance to talk to all of the bachelors and bachelorettes at the auction, I DID get some fantastic interviews!  Sarah did a great job of picking good-looking people with good hearts to get up on the auction block and I chatted it up with quite a few!  Cuties!  All of them!  One of the things that I really like about this video is that I got a chance to talk to people about their hearts… and, of course, laughing all the way! 

And THAT is the kinda show I wanna watch!

PS:  Thank you Sarah.  It was so much fun and I am honored you thought of me!

We Just Keep On… Sharing The Love! from Jen Knoedl on Vimeo.

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