Climb 80 Floors For Step Up For Kids Benefitting Childrens Memorial Hospital

Cancer doesn’t target an age, gender, or ethnicity- it can happen to anyone. It is one of the most well known diseases in the world and affects not only adults, but children each and every day. On January 29^th you can participate in “Step Up For Kids”, an event benefitting Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago and the Family Services Department and help fight the battle against children’s cancers.

Be part of a force that will be climbing 80 floors of the Aon Center to make an impact.  At the end of your 80-floor climb you can enjoy complimentary food, beverage, and live music by Spakl. When you want to meet up with your family and friends you can take the elevator (phew!) down to the mezzanine level to enjoy more food and drinks! It’s a great event for a worthy cause that the whole family can enjoy. There is even some fun set up at their Kids Corner for children!

All you have to do is sign up online here and by January 25^th you will get an assigned number and start time. Friends and family are encouraged to attend and cheer on steppers too! The first three males and females will be getting a medal and prizes will be awarded to the top individual fundraiser and the to the winner of the Team Challenge.

The goal for this event is to raise $575,000.00 and currently achieved is a bit over $362,000.00 so even if you can’t participate you can always donate to this great cause!

Take a step and make a difference today!

-Rhea Drougas

Tags: 80, Aon Center, cancer, cause, children, children's memorial hospital, climb, donate, family services department, floors, kids, spakl, step, teams, up

Cupcakes for Courage: Chicagos Largest Mobile Cupcakery Hits Hollywood!

When life throws you lemons, what do you do?  Make cupcakes, of course!

As children, sisters, Kathryn and Laura Pekarik, shared a passion for baking.  Always thinking they would eventually start some kind of business their idea was put on hold when Kathryn was diagnosed with T-Cell Lymphoma cancer in May 2010.

While trying to keep their minds off the cancer and divert attention away from the effects of the treatments Kathryn and Laura began to invent their cupcake recipes and continue the dream of one day starting that business.

Later that year, a benefit was held in Kathryn’s honor to help defray the costs of her medical care.  To  contribute, Laura baked 250 of their own recipe cupcakes to host a bake sale at the event.  With such rave reviews, the brain child of these two sisters, Kathryn and Laura Pekarik was born; Cupcakes for Courage!

While Kathryn  continued treatment, Laura took Cupcakes for Courage to the next level.  Little did they know these little  delectable cupcakes would take her to Hollywood.

Cupcakes for Courage is one of the contestants competing for $10,000 this Sunday on Cupcake Wars.

Upon Kathryn’s persistence, Laura pulled out all stops and took the steps needed to get them there and created a Cupcake Wars application video.

As Laura says, “we don’t hope, we do! …and that is exactly what Cupcakes for Courage is all about; doing and giving back by providing Chicagoland these wonderful little cakes while raising money for Leukemia and Lymphoma Research, Ride Janie Ride and others in our community and beyond.  We also strive to protect the environment for generations to come in using biodegradable, recyclable and sustainable packaging.”

The “Green Machine’s” weekly schedule makes frequent stops Tuesday thru Friday in the city…also catering cupcakes to weddings, parties and special events.

By Andrea Pekarik Welch “Cupcake Mama”

Tags: Baking, chicago, Courage, Cupcakes, Cure, Mama, Wars

Take A Dip In Lake Michigan for the Shelter Shiver Fundraiser!

This chilly Shelter Shiver fundraising event put on by ALIVE Rescue is sure to wake you up and send goosebumps all over your body! Join this organization in helping to raise money with other Chicagoans who love animals just as much as they do! ALIVE Rescue is a place where homeless animals can go and get proper care from great people. ALIVE strives to take on the responsibility to “save, rehabilitate and place abandoned, abused stray animals.”

Shelter Shiver is the first fundraising event in 2012 for ALIVE Rescue and you can participate by yourself or with a team! There are a three ways you can join in on this event…

1.)  Shiver Swim- Do a FULL plunge into Lake Michigan!

2.)  Chicken Dip- An ankle deep stroll into the lake

3.)  I’ll Meet You at the Meltdown- Watch and cheer others on!

The Shelter Shiver is January 8^th at 11am and it is only $25.00 to participate at North Avenue Beach! When you complete the challenge of going into Lake Michigan you will get a Stayin’ ALIVE goodie bag, coupons, and a special gift noting that you “survived” the Shelter Shiver! You can also warm up at the after party which will take place at Old Town Ale House. At the after party there will be prizes given away for Best Costume, Best Team Theme, and Top Fundraisers.

So animal lovers unite! Help out and join in on Shelter Shiver this year to help animals and raise money for this great organization!

-Rhea Drougas

Tags: ALIVE Rescue, Animal Shelter, Animals, chicago, Cold, fundraising, lake michigan, north avenue beach, Shelter Shiver, Swimming

HOLIDAY PARTY FOR A CAUSE AT MARIGOLD

‘Tis the season for holiday parties and sippin’ on spirits – but it is also a great time to give to those in need during this Holiday Season. Here is your chance to combine the two! From December 13-18 at Marigold, a unique Indian restaurant in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, they will donate 25% of its sales from customers who take one of two simple steps to show that they are supporters of Care For Real.

Care For Real strives to help their neighbors in the Edgewater community by providing food, clothing, and counseling services to those in need. Help them with their efforts.

1. Print out the “I support Care For Real” flyer on Marigold’s Facebook page and show it to your server.
- OR -
2. Show your server that you have “Checked-In” on Foursquare or Facebook to Marigold.

Also, keep an eye out for special deals at the restaurant for Care For Real supporters, such as half off all bottles of wine. Cheers to that!

- Evan Jones

Tags: Care For Real, chicago, Edgewater, facebook, four square, help those in need, holiday charity, holiday season, indian restaurant, marigold restaurant, uptown

103.5 KISS FM Stuff-A-Bus 2011

Many of us use buses to navigate our way throughout the city, either going to school or work. We pack them full of people trying to avoid the blistering cold at the bus stop. This year help over 700 families by filling a bus with toys, blankets, coats, clothing, and canned goods. Starting December 8, 103.5 KISS FM, AT&T, Taco Bell, and The Salvation Army are teaming up to Stuff-A-Bus in Arlington Heights on the corner of Palatine and Rand Road.
Come out and join others as they celebrate the holiday season by helping those in need. You’ve already stuffed a turkey and are planning to stuff stockings – now is your chance to Stuff-A-Bus! Take a look at the schedule below to see when donations are being accepted.

Thursday, 12/8 – 4p-8p w/Jordan & 8p-12m w/Special K.
Friday, 12/9 – 4p-8p w/Jordan & 8p-12m w/Special K.
Saturday, 12/10 – 12p–12a w/ Special K.
Sunday, 12/11 – 12p–12a w/ Special K.
Monday, 12/12– 4p-8p w/Jordan & 8p-12a w/Special K.
Tuesday, 12/13 – 4p-8p w/Jordan & 8p-12a w/Special K.

Learn more here: http://www.1035kissfm.com/pages/StuffABus2011/

- Evan Jones

Tags: 103.5, Arlington Heights, AT&T, Bus, canned goods, chicago, chicago radio, CTA, donations, FM, giving, holiday charity, holiday season, Jordan, KISS, kiss fm, Special K, Stuff-A-Bus, Taco Bell, The Salvation Army

CHICAGO BEARS: BEHIND-THE-SCENES HOLIDAY HUDDLE AT HALAS HALL

Start calling the plays and bring your friends and family to the Holiday Huddle at Halas Hall. We see what goes down when the Bears take to the field, ready to play, but what do they do to prepare for game-day? Find out on December 9 from 6:00pm-8:30pm at Halas Hall when the team opens their doors “for a rare glimpse inside the headquarters and behind-the-scenes tours of their training facilities and Walter Payton Center.”

Mingle with current Chicago Bears players, alumni, staff and Chicago sports personalities as you take a guided tour through the gym and field house. Tickets are $125 per person, with proceeds benefiting The Gridiron Alliance. “Organized to help improve the lives of people who have been seriously injured or paralyzed playing school sports,” The Gridiron Alliance provides outreach and aims to prevent future injuries. To purchase tickets & learn more about their mission here: www.gridironalliance.org. Hope to see you on the field!

-  Evan Jones

Tags: chicago bears, December 9, Fieldhouse, football, Gym, Halas Hall, Holiday Huddle, sports, Sports Injuries, The Gridiron Alliance, Walter Payton Center

More Dance than Dinner Soiree Comes Alive with Chicago’s best Local Performers to Benefit the Chicago Academy of Music!

Growing up my best memories were the ones sitting with my grandpa and listening to Jazz and Big Band music. The appreciation for the way all of the individual instruments could mesh as one to create something so special as an emotional groove was something I will never forget.  This music appreciation from a young age was so influential in my life, from my high school music programs, professional dancing career, night club djing, and of course my radio career.  That is why The Chicago Academy of Music really caught my attention as something I wanted to be involved with.

The Chicago Academy of Music is a non-profit organization that offers music education in low income neighborhoods in the south and west sides of Chicago.  The program includes weekly musical instruction, daily after school group music classes and specialized year round workshops for the youth.

Help make a difference in the lives of today’s youth.  By making a donation or purchasing tickets you are helping to enrich a student’s life in a very powerful way.  Make the choice to reinforce positive values in the young through an exciting musical education.

The More Dance than Dinner Soiree comes alive on November 18^th, hosted at Tantrik Chicago.  Come join us for a night filled with dancing and live entertainment with the best of the best Chicago local performers.  Musical selections range from Jazz, R&B, Hip hop and Tango; a delicious treat for your ears no matter what your musical pallet might be.  Entertainment starts at 7pm; grab a friend, date, or come alone- You don’t want to miss this!

For more information and to purchase your tickets click here!

-Special K

Tags: 103.5, billy dec, blues, chicago, jazz, More Dance Than Dinner, Radio, Special K

Geek 2 Chic comes to Chicago featuring our very own Tim Toomey!

NERD ALERT! Joe here from Rockit Ranch Productions with an important message for you all. Do you enjoy FASHION SHOWS? Do you enjoy WORLD OF WARCRAFT? Do you enjoy SUPPORTING GOOD CAUSES? If you answered YES to any of these, I have just the thing for you. Come down to Bloomingdale’s on Wednesday, November 2 from 6:30-9:00pm for the Geek 2 Chic fashion show hosted by Microsoft. Cheer on Rockit Ranch Production’s own Tim Toomey (and if you don’t believe me, check out THIS video of him getting BUSTED for being our head geek) and a host of other dudes (sorry fellas, this fashion show is all-male) strut their stuff on the runway while supporting the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship. Purchase tickets and learn more here. By the way, Tim is actually pretty awesome and hot and SINGLE. POWER UP!

Tags: geek 2 chic, netwrok for teaching entrepreneurship, rockit ranch, Tim Toomey

Grow out your Mo This Movember To Raise Awareness & Funds for Cancers!

Chicago Sports icons Mike Ditka and Joel Quenneville were two big reasons Chicago was recently named the most “moustache-friendly” city in the U.S. by the American Mustache Institute.  And this November, you can help to continue the tradition and sport a ‘stache for Movember, the not-for profit charity that challenges men across the country to raise awareness and funds for cancers affecting men by growing a Mo (slang for moustache).

Participation in Movember is not only fun, but simple.  Once registered, men are challenged to start the month clean-shaven and grow a Mo.  The moustache becomes the “hairy” ribbon for men’s health and the guys growing them become a walking billboard for 30 days.  The growth of a new Mo inspires conversations about not often talked about topics – men’s health and cancer affecting them.  Women play a key role in the campaign as team captains, inspiration leaders and fundraisers.  Funds raised throughout the month benefit LIVESTRONG and the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

At the end of the month, Movember will host a Gala Parte for all participants at The Hard Rock Café at 63 West Ontario Street on December 1 from 8:00pm – 2:00am.  Guests are encouraged to dress in costumes that match their moustache and awards are given in several categories, including the prestigious Man of Movember.

Last year in Chicago, 2,066 participants raised more than $344K.  In 2011, we want to double those numbers!  Join the hairy hunt and register at Movember.com to grow or support the growth of a moustache today!   And make sure to visit @movemberchicago on twitter and Movember Chicago on facebook to learn about other events throughout the month.

Learn more about Movember here!

-Aaron Brost

Legends Fight Night Celebrates its 9th Year at Soldier Field & Honors Mickey Ward!

Get your boxing gloves out and keep your guard up! Legends Fight Night is celebrating its ninth year and it keeps getting bigger and better! “Fight Night” is one of the most notorious charity events in Chicago and has raised over $1.6 million dollars, benefitting numerous charities. This year, however, “Fight Night” is going even bigger when it comes to helping out. To reach and help more charities founder Neal Wilkinson and the Board of Directors launched the OpenField Foundation (O.F.F) earlier this year. The O.F.F.’s purpose is to help support small, new and undeserved charities by being a charitable fundraising platform through grants, gifts, and donations.

“Fight Night” will take place on Thursday, October 20^th at 7pm at Soldier Field.  To spice up the fun the theme for the event is “Vegas baby!” There will be fighters from the United States and Canada going head to head in the ring. Expect some great fights for entertainment and live music to get people going! You can also get the chance to mingle with celebrities and professional athletes while enjoying food and an open bar. They also have a silent auction and raffle with great memorabilia, products, and services that will be available for bidding.

All the proceeds from Legends Fight Night benefit the OpenField Foundation as well as two other charities that are picked by the O.F.F.”s Board of Directors. This year those two charities are Walking with Anthony and the Semper Fi Fund in memory of CJ Boyd. A percentage of proceeds also goes to the Legend Honoree’s charity of choice. A Legend Honoree is chosen every year from the world of sports, the arts, business and/or philanthropy. This year’s Honoree is “Irish” Micky Ward!

For more info & tickets, visit: legendsfightnight.com

-Rhea Drougas

Tags: boxing, fight night, legends fight night, mickey ward, OpenField Foundation, Soldier Field, Vegas