Olympians help group raise funds for disabled

Olympic gold medalist Matt Grevers and Paralympian Alyssa Gialamas will help raise money for paralympic sports Saturday at the Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association's annual gala: "The Golden Age of Hollywood."

Grevers and Gialamas are honorary chairs of the GLASA gala, which funds sports and wellness programming for children, teens, and adults, including injured military, who have a physical or visual disability.

Grevers is a Lake Forest native and six-time Olympic swimming medalist at the 2008 and 2012 games. Gialamas, of Naperville, placed fifth in the 2012 Paralympic Games and won four silver medals in the 2011 Parapan American Games. She is a senior at Waubonsie Valley High School, six-time state champion and on the U.S. National Paralympic Swim Team.

The gala will be held from 7 to 11 p.m. on Saturday, March 15, at Fields BMW in Northfield. It includes casino-style games, the music of Jazz in the Forest, inspirational insights from GLASA athletes, live and silent auctions, and culinary treats from a variety of North Shore restaurants.

Proceeds help fund year-round daily adaptive sports and recreational programs, such as wheelchair basketball, goalball, wheelchair track/field, swimming and sled hockey, and provide financial assistance for 63 percent of GLASA athletes. GLASA also serves as a resource for schools to integrate students with disabilities into their school athletic programs.

GLASA is headquartered in Lake Forest. For information on how to purchase tickets, donate, or volunteer, contact Cherie Hrusovsky at chrusosky@glasa.org or (847) 283-0908 or go to GLASAGala.org.