advertisement

At 30, Alexian Ball is less Hollywood, still mission-focused

Talk about name dropping. Over the last 30 years, some of the country's biggest entertainers have played the Northwest suburbs to benefit the Alexian Brothers Foundation and the hospital system's legacy of health care.

British singer Petula Clark set the standard for the Alexian Brothers Garden Ball back in 1987 when she headlined the gala. The hit parade continued with Bob Hope, Jay Leno, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and the Temptations, to name just a few.

It all added up to raising more than $7 million over the years for a variety of health care programs and fulfill the Alexian Brothers' mission of serving the marginalized.

“Over its history, the ball has generated an outpouring of support from compassionate benefactors and their generosity has profoundly impacted our health system,” says Mark Frey, president and CEO of AMITA Health and Alexian Brothers Health System.

This year's 30th anniversary Ball de Fleur will be held Saturday, May 7 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago. Ron Magers, co-anchor of the ABC-7 newscasts, will serve as host and emcee.

While past proceeds have helped advance expansion plans, the Neuroscience Institute, the Family Health Center and Emergency Department, and women's health facilities, in more recent years the ball has raised money for one central mission: behavioral health.

Alexian Brothers entered last year into a joint merger with Adventist Midwest, making the new AMITA Health system the eighth largest provider of mental health services in the country.

Specifically, the AMITA Behavioral Health Hospital in Hoffman Estates has taken more than 100,000 calls from people across the region in need of help, says Clay Ciha, president and CEO.

“One in four adults in any given year experience a behavioral health issue and half of those people are not going to be treated,” Ciha said.

“We are in a unique position to address this need,” he adds, “and are passionate about providing behavioral health care access to everyone.”

Additionally, community-based mental health services offered by AMITA Health include education programs and counseling at 21 suburban schools as well as general psychology, counseling and rehab services to the 3,500 patients served by its Alexian Brothers Center for Mental Health in Arlington Heights.

“It's very clear that behavioral health is the biggest community need not being met,” says Melanie Furlan, vice president of advancement for Alexian Brothers Foundation. “Because of state cuts, we have seen a fairly massive closure of community-based mental health facilities resulting in huge gaps of service for people needing access to care.”

At the gala, guests will watch a short video that follows the lives of two patients dealing with anxiety, one of the most pervasive disorders facing children and adults.

“This is our premiere event of the year and the dollars raised are critical to our support,” Furlan adds. “These programs simply would not be sustainable without it.”

Jay Leno, headline entertainer for the Millennium Garden Ball, in 2000, with Alexian Brother Valentino Bianco. Courtesy of the Alexian Brothers Foundation
Ethel Kolerus and Brother Philip Kennedy chat with actor and singer Hal Linden at the 1992 Garden Ball fundraiser. Courtesy of the Alexian Brothers Foundation
Alexian Brother Thomas Keusenkothen with Paul Anka, headline entertainer for the 2003 Ball at the Drury Lane Oak Brook. Courtesy of the Alexian Brothers Foundation
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.