Alexian Brothers' ball raises money for new facilities
Chicago's historic Field Museum served as the backdrop for supporters from across the Alexian Brothers Hospital Network, as they gathered Saturday for the 24th annual Ball de Fleur.
More than 700 guests attended the black tie event, held in the shadow of imposing African elephants and Sue, the museum's rare tyrannosaurus rex. The theme for the evening was a "Field Trip to India."
Guests toured the glittering diamonds and jewels on display in the Grainger Hall of Gems before receiving a personal tour of the current traveling exhibit, "Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age."
"Dining among dinosaurs and prehistoric baby mammoths is not something you get to do every day," said Mark Frey, CEO of the Alexian Brothers Hospital Network.
The ball continues to be the premiere fundraising event for the Alexian Brothers, dating back to the years when they featured headliners like Bob Hope, Jay Leno and Frankie Valli to entertain guests.
In recent years, they have taken their show on the road, celebrating last year with supporters at the Brookfield Zoo.
"We see this as an incredible opportunity for people to come out and support our efforts to better serve the health care needs of our community," Frey added. "The Alexian Brothers continue to shine as beacons of hope for those in need."
Four hospitals in the Northwest suburbs make up the Alexian Brothers Hospital Network, including: Alexian Brothers Medical Center and Alexian Rehabilitation Hospital, both in Elk Grove Village; and St. Alexius Medical Center and Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital, both in Hoffman Estates.
Hospital officials say that the combined network serves more than 2 million people living in the region.
This year's proceeds, estimated to reach $350,000, were earmarked for a three-year, multilevel capital campaign conducted by the Alexian Brothers Foundation called "Centuries of Caring - A Future of Excellence."
Already, the campaign has raised nearly $20 million for the new East Tower at Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village, and soon will start construction on a Children's Hospital on the St. Alexius Medical Center campus in Hoffman Estates.
Proceeds from Saturday night were specifically earmarked for expansion of services at the Alexian Brothers Center for Mental Health in Arlington Heights, the start up of a new hospice program in Elk Grove Village, and the expansion of developmental pediatrics across the network, to help children with autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Down syndrome, among others.