Local Summer Event Raises $21,000 for Mental Health and Social Services

Submitted by Pillars.

Amid a rainy start to the summer, Pillars brought Hawaiian sunshine to the western suburbs as part of its annual Party for Pillars fundraiser.

Events kicked off at the La Grange Pet Parade on Saturday, May 30, where Pillars manned a float. The signature event—Pillars Hawaiian Holiday, a Luau for a Cause—was held Thursday, June 18 at the Village Club in Western Springs. The following night, June 19, Diane and Tom Schoenheider of La Grange and Corliss and Dennis Kajmowicz of La Grange hosted a wine tasting at the Kajmowicz home.

In all, 356 people showed their support at the 2015 events and helped raise $21,000 for Pillars’ mental health and social services.

“Party for Pillars is a light-hearted, casual event at the start of summer, yet it has a serious, important purpose: to help fund programming that meets the needs of our community’s most vulnerable members,” says Ann C. Schreiner, AM, LCSW, president and CEO of Pillars. “We’re touched by how much our donors rallied together around our mission.”

The luau on June 18 brought out more than 100 guests who enjoyed a barbecue dinner and dancing as well as a hula and fire show performed by Aloha Chicago Entertainment. The program included a hula lesson for both the male and female attendees. Pillars also hosted an Aloha Golden Ticket promotion leading up to the event; at the luau, they drew the names of the winners, who won a one-week stay at the Honua Kai Resort & Spa in Lahaina, Maui. To view all photos from the event, visit www.pillarscommunity.org/P4P.

Party for Pillars was sponsored by FNBC Bank & Trust, Lyons Township Mental Health Commission, the Bomher Family, Cheryl D & Company LTD., and the Park District of La Grange.

Pillars is the largest mental health and social service agency in the western and southwestern suburbs of Chicago. Serving 12,000 people across suburban Cook County, eastern DuPage County, and Chicago last year, Pillars works to build healthier communities by providing quality mental health services, social services, and education to people of all ages. Learn more at www.pillarscommunity.org.