The Event: The 9th annual UNICEF Hope Gala drew nearly 600 supporters into a wondrous world at the Geraghty in Chicago on April 9. Evoking an Alice’s dreamlike Wonderland with giant flowers, prowling acrobats and towering stilt walkers, the gala conjured a world in which no child would ever perish from a preventable disease.
Since 1946, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has helped to save more children’s lives than any other humanitarian organization.
Cause Célebre: “This year has seen more children in crises than ever before,” said Wendy Serrino of Glencoe, immediate past UNICEF Midwest Regional Board chair, “From the (Syrian) refugee crisis, to Ebola, to the spread of poverty, it’s a tough year to be a child of the world.”
Working throughout more than 190 countries and territories, UNICEF focuses on providing clean water, vaccinations and nutrition, preventing child trafficking and promoting child safety and education. Ninety-one cents of every dollar UNICEF receives goes to such programming.
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As general secretary of Rotary International, John Hewko of Evanston represents one of UNICEF’s partners in polio eradication. “For only the second time in human history, we are on the cusp of eradicating Polio,” said Hewko. To date, only nine cases have been reported throughout Afghanistan and Pakistan, combined, in the last year. “That’s nine too many (and) I think we are very close to ending this disease.”
“For people living in Chicago or the States who say ‘how does this affect me?'” Rob Brown of Park Ridge, UNICEF Midwest Board Chair, reminds us that “Around the world where people don’t value life and don’t have hope…they can turn to violence or terrorism. UNICEF’s ability to have children survive and thrive, live healthy and happy lives, is one way of combating that. And that affects everybody.”
Bottom Line: This year’s gala raised more than $960,000. More at https://www.unicefusa.org/supporters/regional/chicago.