Woodlands Academy’s Congé Fundraiser a ‘Global Odyssey’

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – In recognition of the school’s newest Center for Global Studies offering, Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart’s 45th annual Congé takes a “Global Odyssey.” For example, dinner and drinks will have an international flair at this fundraising event Saturday, April 28, at the Glen View Club, 100 Golf Road, Golf, IL, 60029. There’ll also be a photo booth where attendees can have a picture of themselves taken in front of iconic sites from around the world.

It all begins with cocktails and silent auction at 6 p.m. followed by dinner and the program, including the live auction, and then a nightcap called Après Soirée – a mix of coffee, desserts and liqueurs – at 10 p.m.

A new program feature this year is presentation of Woodlands Academy’s inaugural Above and Beyond Volunteer Service Award to past parent Chris Denniston of Lake Bluff.

Live auction highlights include: a ride in a World War II bi-plane; Wrigley Field skybox experience; a Cubs “dream day”; Chicago Bulls skybox experience; Zamboni Ride at a Blackhawks game; Michigan lakefront home for one week; Captiva home for one week; and a private Mass in your home celebrated by Monsignor Velo.

The silent auction will feature: Elton John concert tickets; an aerial drone view of your home; a personal chef for one day; a Woodlands Academy parking spot; a front row pew at Woodlands’ 2018 Graduation; Art Institute tour & lunch at Arts Club; and Goat Hop progressive dinner for six.

Tickets are $250 each and can be purchased online at: http://www.bidpal.net/conge18. In addition, online bids for some of the silent auction items can be made on this website during the week before the April 28 event.

New this year is the CongéCash Raffle with a prize of $2,500. Tickets are $100 each – or three for $250 – and can be purchased online.

Sponsorship opportunities also are available as another way of supporting Woodlands Academy’s mission of educating young women in transformative ways on its Lake Forest campus.

Congé, derived from the French word for “play date,” is one of the major fundraising events supported annually by the Woodlands Academy Parent Association, Alumnae Parents Connection and local alumnae.

More information is available online or by contacting Kathy Fivelson at 847-234-4300, ext. 226, or kfivelson@woodlandsacademy.org.

This year’s Congé theme honors yet another first for the Woodlands Academy Center for Global Studies. Global Odyssey, an all-school immersion experience, will allow students to participate in an international exchange, to travel abroad on a group trip, or to attend a class with a global focus. Global Odyssey’s debut follows the spring 2017 graduation of Woodlands’ first Global Scholars, who completed work on global issues in addition to regular graduation requirements.

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Photo caption: Woodlands Academy Board of Trustees member Dave Pattie and his wife Jennifer, of Lake Forest, were among those in attendance at last year’s 44th annual Congé fundraiser.

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Founded in 1858, Woodlands Academy is an independent Catholic college preparatory day and boarding high school for young women. It’s part of a worldwide network of Sacred Heart Schools that spans the United States and 40 other countries. A nonprofit, Woodlands Academy’s identity is rooted in Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat’s desire to inspire young hearts and minds to excel, to lead lives of integrity and to serve. For more information about Woodlands Academy, please visit www.woodlandsacademy.org.