Alexian ball raises $350,000 for Northwest suburban health services
Suicide prevention, mental health programs and providing access to care for the vulnerable in the Northwest suburbs.
Those may not sound like the stuff of a fancy, black-tie fundraiser, but supporters of Alexian Brothers Health System faced them head-on Saturday at the annual Ball de Fleur.
Nearly 500 guests gathered near Chicago's lakefront, at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, amid its blue-bathed light and sleek architectural design.
Br. Daniel McCormick, provincial of the Alexian Brothers' North American province, greeted the crowd warmly and reminded guests of the mission of the religious order.
"The whole thrust of our identity has been to reach out to the marginalized," McCormick said, "essentially the people who have no one else to speak for them."
He drew on his own background as a former social worker in mental health, before describing how the Alexian Brothers came to acquire the former Woodland Hospital in Hoffman Estates in 1999 and turned it into the Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital.
"When we took it over, Woodland had an average census of 12 and we turned it into a hospital with a waiting list," McCormick said. "Everyone told us that we were crazy to get involved with mental health, but we knew it's what we were called to do."
Mark Frey, president and CEO of Alexian Brothers Health System, followed and quickly got down to business.
"We don't do enough to provide access to people with mental health issues," he said. "We need to reduce the incidences of suicide, bullying and violence, and we have the unique capability to do it."
Between its Alexian Brothers Mental Health Center in Arlington Heights - which treated more than 3,000 individuals last year - and the behavioral health hospital in Hoffman Estates, with inpatient and outpatient programs, it is the largest mental health system in the Midwest, Frey added.
Mike Benoit, of Bartlett, is chairman of the Alexian Brothers Foundation board. He described ball guests as "ambassadors" for the health system's vision.
"This is such a great opportunity to gather together supporters from all of our facilities - and help them see our vision for mental health services," Benoit said.
Guests responded generously. Between an oral auction and a dedicated paddle raise, as well as ticket revenue, the event raised nearly $350,000.
"We offer a broad spectrum of mental health services," added Melanie Furlan, vice president of Alexian Brothers Foundation, "but of those living with severe and persistent mental health issues, about 90 percent of them live below the poverty level. We have to be able to give them access to care."
While Alexian Brothers merged with the St. Louis-based Ascension Health in 2013, officials said proceeds from the gala remain in the Northwest suburbs.