Goose droppings benefit charity
The Goose Is Loose Festival, the Libertyville Sunrise Rotary’s main fundraiser for charities, is set for Saturday, July 23 on Church Street west of Milwaukee Avenue in downtown Libertyville.
Four local food vendors, a wine and beer garden and music by The Breakfast Club will be featured during the event, which runs from 5-10:30 p.m. The raffle has a $15,000 Grand Prize, and 10, $1,000 and 10, $500 prizes.
Admission is $10 or free with the purchase of a $25 raffle ticket. Proceeds benefit at least 25 local charities and two international charitable efforts.
The event had been done the past five years at the Libertyville Sports Complex, and “goose droppings” were toy geese dropped on targets for cash prizes. This year, the goose droppings will be chips in a rotating drum. An evening of entertainment, fun and chance to win a substantial prize and help charities remains the same.
“This is reinventing the Goose is Loose event,” said Scott Hezner, president of Libertyville Sunrise Rotary. “Downtown, it really takes on a different feel than it did at the Sports Complex. It will be like a big party downtown.”
The Breakfast Club, a Chicago-area ‘80s tribute band, is one of two bands that will crank out the tunes for the annual event.
“We’re just a high-energy ‘80s band,” said Breakfast Club guitarist Steve Ballog. “We’re very crowd oriented — just a fun party band.”
Sunrise Rotary Member Howard Jaffe, chairman and CEO of Oakbrook-based Inland Bank, said the first band is actually two bands in one.
“They do two sets — one as Fast Eddie and the Corvettes, the other as Parrot Head Express,” he said. “Parrot Head is of the Jimmy Buffett and Beach Boys genre.”
Each of the first band’s two sets will last 45 to 50 minutes, with The Breakfast Club playing from about 8:30 p.m. to closing.
Bob Stemper, owner of S & S Wine and Spirit Warehouse, 830 S. Milwaukee Ave., will provide wine and beer for the event. Specialty appetizers, ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, grilled burgers and chicken sandwiches, and more will be available.
Food vendors include: Main Street Smoke House, and Fatman’s, from Libertyville, Gilroy’s Catering of Grayslake, and more. Prices are $5 to $7 per plate.
Libertyville Sunrise Rotary raises more than $50,000 each year from the Goose is Loose festival, which all goes to charity. Some charities receive funds every year and some are selected on a one-time basis.
This year, Camp I Am Me, a summer camp for burn victims, run by the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance has been added to the list of charities.
Visit http://gooseisloosefestival.com for event details, names of charities recently benefiting from the event and links to their websites and videos of their acceptance speeches.