A sold-out benefit for Women’s Board of Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital recently helped push a fundraising effort for a new hospital pavilion across the finish line.
Dressed in festive Kentucky Derby finery, about 300 supporters of Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital’s women’s board filled the Onwentsia Club in the city on May 4 to dine and watch the derby.
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The fundraiser raised a net of $450,000, said board president Susan Loiacano. The event supports an effort that began four years ago to raise $4 million to dedicate the Women’s Board Pavilion, which opened in March 2018, on the campus of five, interconnected hospital buildings.
“It’s a real point of pride for us to make such a significant commitment to that facility,” Loiacano said. “We’re demonstrating to the community that we are doing significant work as fundraisers and volunteers of the hospital. Hopefully, (the May 4 fundraiser) will lead to many other pledges down the road.”
Loiacano said the Women’s Board has held fundraisers for 73 years, many of which have been at the private Lake Forest golf club in recent years. The board’s mission is to support the Lake Forest hospital through fundraising, volunteerism, education and advocacy.
Dr. Michael Bauer, who is the medical director of Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital, said volunteers play a vital role at the hospital.
“The community has been nothing short of spectacular to rally around Northwestern — from building of the new hospital to the Women’s Board supporting all the new programs we have,” he said. “They’ve been a wonderful partner for a long, long time.”
Denys Bucksten is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
