'Give For The Gulf' Fundraiser Series Enters Final Week

EVANSTON, IL - From Give for the Gulf Fundraiser: A month-long, Evanston-based fundraiser series, Give for the Gulf, which benefits the survivors of the 2017 Hurricane Season, has finished its third week with a lunch at Terra & Vine. Put together by community organizations, corporate offices, and local businesses earlier this month, Give for the Gulf is set to run through September 28th, 2017, with a culminating happy hour event at Whiskey Thief. The fundraising efforts have spurred a larger Evanston community effort, with a corresponding Facebook page, called Evanston Giving.

Partners, sponsors, and corporate matches have joined forces to make a meaningful impact on the survivors of the 2017 hurricanes. The Give for the Gulf fundraiser is supported by Hagerty Consulting, Inc., Northwestern University, the City of Evanston, Downtown Evanston, the Main/Dempster Mile, the Rotary Foundation, Accuity, Grumman / Butkus Associates, Multilingual Connections, and the Saint Athanasius Parish, as well as other Evanston organizations. Participants in the wider community effort have included Smiley Brothers Brewing Co., Ayla’s Originals, Cyclebar, Pure Barre, MedPoint, Shaker Traditions, Evanston Float Center, Secret Treasures Antiques, Soapies, Cultivate Urban Rainforest, Stumble & Relish, Few, and Good’s Fine Picture Framing among others.

With a week left to collect donations, these community efforts have already raised over $10,000. The Give for the Gulf fundraiser has consisted of several events at rotating locations around the city: lunch at Flat
Top Grill; Meet, Greet, and Give on the Accuity Patio; lunch at Terra & Vine; a fundraiser at the Legion; and a Day of Giving along the Main/Dempster Mile. The final event, a happy hour at Whiskey Thief, will occur from 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. next Thursday, September 28th. Each event donates a percentage of the proceeds to three charities directly involved in relief efforts, and all donations made at the event will be matched by partners, including Hagerty Consulting, Grumman / Butkus Associates, and Multilingual Connections, to maximize impact.

The hurricanes that have affected various communities in the south and southeastern United States have changed the lives of many. Any support – from participating in these events or working alongside the team as a corporate sponsor – will serve as a force multiplier and create hope for survivors. “Recovery won’t end after a week, and neither will Evanston’s support of these communities,” said Hagerty Consulting, Inc. Founder and Evanston Mayor Steve Hagerty. To find out more about how to become a sponsor, contact Laura Scherb at laura.scherb@hagertyconsulting.com.

Image via Evacuees wade down a flooded section of Interstate 610 Aug. 27, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)