A full, fun-packed day is planned for the 31st Annual Golf Tournament presented by the Riverwoods-based Center for Enriched Living (CEL), which provides services for people with developmental disabilities. This year’s event will start at 10 a.m. on August 31 at the Twin Orchard Country Club, 22353 Old McHenry Rd. in Long Grove.
“We typically open with a lunch program where everyone gets together and has the opportunity to eat and talk,” said CEL CEO Herb Washington. “We talk a little bit about our mission. Then we have a shotgun start. Throughout the entire outing, we have CEL members—people that are impacted by our services and programs—who are an integral part of our day. Our big push is about belonging.”
There will be snacks for golfers throughout the 18-hole event.
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After golfing, the group gathers for cocktails, pizza, and an awards ceremony.
“It’s a long day but it’s a fun day,” Washington declared. “And as long as the weather is great, it’s a great day.”
In addition to creating a wonderful full day, the annual event raises around $400,000 each year for CEL’s many programs.
The Golf Tournament costs $750 for a single golfer; $3,000 for a foursome. For reservations, visit experiencecel.org/individual-foursome-registration.
Washington has been the CEO of CEL since November 2023. “My inspiration is the people that we support,” he declared. “For me, the meaning comes from every day being able to see people accomplish things that others may have underestimated, and see families finding hope and confidence.”
The organization directly serves over 400 people each year, Washington reported. “Indirectly, thousands because our work extends across seven states in schools,” he explained. “We have had students and educators as well as the adults that we directly impact in the northern Chicagoland area.”
The services provided by CEL include a social-recreation program and an employment program that help people find jobs and remain employed, with sufficient skills to advance in their careers.
“We provide mental health services, family resource services,” Washington added. “And then in schools we provide curriculum to teachers so that they can build more inclusive classrooms and students can learn about disability, empathy, and relationship-building.”
Washington declared that they measure success in their programs by “Seeing someone’s life meaningfully change — getting their first job, making new friendships, trying new things in their community they haven’t done before — those are the true meanings of success.”
Jenny Lynch has been involved with CEL in various capacities for over 20 years, since she was in high school: the Employment Program, Catalyst Life Skills Program, Social and Recreational Programs, and REACH Adult Day Program. Lynch is currently working with the Employment Program.
“I’ve been working with them to find a new job,” Lynch said. She hopes to work in a restaurant. Previously, she cleaned tables and chairs and did the dishes at the Wild Rooster in Deerfield.
With the Catalyst Life Skills Program, “We are out in the community, learning how to take public transportation,” Lynch noted.
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Through CEL’s Social and Recreational Programs, Lynch visited Navy Pier. “We’ll see the sights—see the Ferris Wheel.”
Working with CEL “means a lot to me,” Lynch said. “I’m still really close with all the lead staff. I still have a lot of friends.”
Jenny Lynch’s mother, Michele Lynch, is grateful for the progress her daughter has made because of CEL.
“She has grown so much in her social awareness and social interactions, mastered skills I had given up on her ever learning, and maintained her positive & upbeat attitude,” Michele Lynch declared.
Myrna Petlicki is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.