Glencoe Resident Mike Balkin Co-Chairing the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Casino Chicago fundraising event featuring the 11th Annual Texas Hold 'Em Poker Tournament

Glencoe resident Mike Balkin, Co-Manager of the William Blair Small Cap Growth Fund and small cap Institutional portfolio is once again Co-Chairman of Casino Chicago, one of the largest and most successful casino and charity poker events in the Midwest, which takes place on May 30, 2015 at the Swissotel Chicago. The event benefits the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Greater Illinois and features the 11th Annual “Hold ‘Em” Poker Tournament presented by Rivers Casino.

The energetic evening features blackjack, craps, and roulette gaming, along with one of the longest running Texas Hold ‘em poker tournaments in Chicago, with the winner receiving the option of a complimentary seat to the World Series of Poker or an exciting trip. All funds raised during the evening support life changing cystic fibrosis research and improved care for those battling the disease.

According to Balkin, “This has been a year of tremendous progress, and together, we have achieved many important milestones in our shared journey to find a cure and help all people with CF live full, productive lives. The funds will allow us to expand our efforts to help develop lifesaving new treatments that target the disease from every angle. We will strengthen our ongoing work to help ensure people with CF have access to the highest-quality, specialized care and programs to meet the daily challenges of living with the disease. Some of these initiatives are already underway as we begin to implement the Foundation’s comprehensive five-year strategic plan, rolled out earlier this year.”

Held during Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month on Saturday, May 30,, 2015 from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. at the Swissotel Chicago (Lower Ballroom, 323 East Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60601), Casino Chicago offers the opportunity for skilled players and amateur gamers alike to don their best poker faces all in the name of fundraising. Last year, over 800 casino and poker players tested their gaming skills while raising over $400,000 to support the lives of over 30,000 children and adults living with cystic fibrosis in the U.S.

The evening will feature the ballroom of the Swissotel converted into a luxury gaming parlor sponsored by Rivers Casino, complete with cocktails, food stations, late night pizza and DJ entertainment. In their 4th year of supporting the Greater Illinois Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Rivers Casino employees generously donate their time and skills to make the interaction fun and entertaining for all levels of players. Guests can expect to see legendary poker player and author, Annie Duke, among the competitors playing in the poker tournament.

Casino Chicago is open to both skilled gamers and rookies. For those just starting out, Rivers Casino will host practice tables on craps and roulette at the beginning of the evening. Rivers will also recreate their popular “Cube” entertainment lounge for guests to relax in between indulging in gaming. A silent and live auction, including trips to Hawaii, Mexico, New York City and Breckenridge, will also be available for guests to bid on throughout the night. The fundraiser will be emceed by Fred from 103.5 KISS FM’s “Fred + Angi In The Morning” program.

Co-chairing Casino Chicago with Mike Balkin is Chris Walsh and Dan Roesch.

“Casino Chicago is a cause close to my heart that also happens to be one of the city’s most dynamic fundraising events. With an evening filled with casino-style gaming to support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, it’s a ‘win-win’ for all gaming fans,” says co-chair Chris Walsh, whose son is living with cystic fibrosis.

Additional benefactors of Casino Chicago include Roth Capital, BTIG, ExamWorks, Larry Roesch Family Auto Group, Graff Diamonds, The Cowen Group, UBS, Scientific Games, Barrington Research Associates, Consolidated Trading, Ultimate Software, U.S. Auto Parts, FBR, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, At Properties, William Blair & Co. and many more generous partners.

Poker tickets are available for $250, which includes one poker seat in the Texas Hold ‘em tournament and one casino guest with additional gaming, food and an open bar. Individual Casino tickets are available for $100 and include blackjack, craps and roulette gaming with food and open bar. Increase your odds to win and buy a $1,000 seat at the Short Road Table sponsored by ExamWorks, a separate, single-table tournament exclusively limited to ten players. The winner will be fast-tracked to the final table and compete for the $10,000 World Series of Poker seat or one of several, exciting trips. Tickets can be purchased at www.casinochicago.com or by calling 312-236-4491.

For more information on Casino Chicago or the Greater Illinois Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, please contact Heather Kundert at 312-236-4491 ext. 113 or hkundert@cff.org. #casinochicago

ABOUT CYSTIC FIBROSIS

Cystic fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system. A defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus that clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections and obstructs the pancreas and stops natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food. For more information, please visit www.cff.org.

ABOUT THE GREATER ILLINOIS CHAPTER OF THE CYSTIC FIBROSIS FOUNDATION

There are 1,047 people in the state of Illinois living with Cystic Fibrosis. The Great Illinois Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is one of the largest CF chapters in the country and raises over $5 million annually to fund lifesaving research and provide access to quality, specialized care and effective treatments for people with CF. There are 15 CF Care Centers in the state of Illinois and over the last 5 years CFF has made an $8.8 million dollar investment into the Care Centers in Illinois as the Chapter continues to improve the outcomes for CF patients. #CFFIllinois