The Event: For the 13th year, more than 400 festively-dressed guests, including 202 youngsters and 201 adults, built gingerbread houses and celebrated the holidays while raising money for WINGS (Women In Need Growing Stronger). Funds raised at the beloved “Sweet Home Chicago” benefit, held at the Four Seasons Hotel on Dec.11 will help support women and children affected by domestic violence.
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Founded in 1985 by a group of northwest suburban community leaders who wanted to aid women and children who are homeless and affected by domestic violence, WINGS has grown to be the largest such provider in Illinois, offering 70,000 nights of shelter annually.
Cause célebre: “The success of this event goes a long way in helping us provide those 70,000 nights of shelter,” said Rebecca Darr of Hoffman Estates, WINGS CEO. “The problem is that there are not enough beds or enough services to respond to need. That’s where we have been working hard with other agencies across the city and state to create more services and safe places.”
At the event, Kristie Paskavan of Chicago, founder of Chicago Says No More, an organization dedicated to increasing awareness and education about domestic violence and sexual assault, noted: “One out of three women and one out of seven men will (experience) some sort of violence in their lifetime. A lot of people don’t know these statistics.”
Every time WINGS helps an abused/disadvantaged woman, her children benefit as well. “This is a cycle we can break if we can just get to the root cause of it and help both perpetrators and victims/survivors of domestic violence,” said Paskavan.
Bottom line: The benefit raised $1,014,950 to further the mission of WINGS. More at wingsprogram.com