Bringing joy to kids and celebrating the holidays — that was the purpose of the 14th annual Kandy Kane Ball on Dec. 17 at Joe’s Bar on Weed Street. Over 800 young professionals attended with a toy donation in hand (as required for entry) for Chicago Children’s Charities. The event featured live entertainment, Disney-inspired decor, appetizers and more.
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The 20,000-square-foot, warehouse-style venue in Lincoln Park was transformed into a winter wonderland inspired by the Disney film “Frozen.” The decor featured fiber-optic snowflakes that twinkled from the ceiling and 6-foot-tall “ice” candelabra on the bars. Even the sweets table matched the “Frozen” theme, with cupcakes and sparkling sugar creations in shades of ice blue.
Characters dressed as the film’s stars, Princess Elsa, Anna and Olaf, posed with guests beside a Christmas tree as the film played on 120 plasma TVs. The band Sorry for Partying kept the dance floor filled, and house DJ Gusto closed out the night with more hot beats for the fun-loving crowd.
The Kandy Kane Ball was created in 2002 in honor of one of its founding members, Courtney Dempsey, who had cancer at the time. (She is in remission now.) Dempsey’s wish was to provide toys for Chicago’s underprivileged children during the holidays, so a group of friends that included Mark Bell, Matt Unertl, Chris Draska, Matt Joki and others got together and made her dream come true. Today, the ball is considered one of the largest toy drives in the city.
During the evening, over 2,000 toys were collected; the donations were delivered the following week through Holy Family Church. The Rev. Michael Gabriel, who oversees the toy distribution, said, “It’s so heartwarming to see so many toys around the tree at this party, knowing they are going to bring smiles to so many faces. The kids don’t care what gifts they receive. They’re just happy to be remembered on Christmas and to celebrate like everyone else. This event is a true blessing for those families and their children.”
Freelance writer Candace Jordan is involved with many local organizations, including some whose events she covers.
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Find more photos and events at www.chicagotribune.com/candidcandace. Visit Candid Candace’s website at www.candidcandace.com, or follow her on Twitter @CandidCandace.
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