Elgin man's passion pays off for Open Door Clinic

Rick Kautz may not be thrilled about being unemployed, but the Open Door Clinic in Elgin is certainly grateful about how he uses his extra time.

Kautz was doing fine as a salesman in the men's clothing department for Marshall Field's four years ago, but the Elgin man found himself out of work when Macy's took over the store.

“Rather than sit around, I decided I wanted to do something to help people and I chose Open Door Clinic because I had a client who lost his life to AIDS,” Kautz said.

Kautz quickly became a board member for the clinic, which serves the poor and homeless, as well as children affected by AIDS in their families, and those suffering from AIDS who no longer have insurance.

It didn't take long for Kautz' sales skills to come to the forefront on behalf of the clinic. He became a clinic board member, using every sales pitch he could muster to orchestrate an upcoming fundraiser in which he had to persuade a well-known movie star to become involved.

The result is a 2 p.m. show Sept. 18 at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, featuring the 1962 film “The Miracle Worker” and a live appearance of its Oscar-winning star, Patty Duke.

It all started for Kautz at an entirely different fundraiser called “All Things Chocolate” held at the clinic in April.

Kautz had become friends with Arcada Theatre owner Ron Onesti after meeting him at the theater when Connie Francis was appearing.

He asked Onesti for a donation for the chocolate event and Onesti donated the use of his theater for a day to the silent auction.

The First Congregational Church of Geneva won the item, and donated it right back to Open Door Clinic.

“Ron said we could do whatever we wanted to do at the theater, so we started thinking of what would make a good fundraiser,” Kautz said.

And he thought of Patty Duke.

Knowing she was one of the first people in Hollywood in 1985 to speak out for AIDS research and treatment, Kautz had convinced her via email to contribute items to the chocolate event. Kautz collected those items when she was in Chicago, doing a meet-and-greet event at the Music Box featuring her cult-classic movie “Valley of the Dolls.”

“I sent her another email about our clinic and about doing the same meet-and-greet in St. Charles, only with ‘The Miracle Worker' rather than ‘Valley of the Dolls,' ” Kautz explained.

“Her husband Mike wrote back and said Patty would do anything to help us,” Kautz said. “They are just the greatest people, with hearts of gold.”

As the event came together, even a seasoned entertainment veteran like Onesti could see something special was happening.

“I cannot say enough about Mr. Kautz's passion with his support of the clinic,” Onesti said. “His warmth and commitment transcended me into becoming a fan of his and of the cause.

“As a fan of classic television, having Patty Duke at my theater will truly be a treat as well,” Onesti added. “This is an important event, it is a cool event, and it is for a great friend and supporter of the theater.”

The effort Kautz has put into organizing the fundraiser is not lost upon Lynne Kennedy, director of Resource and Development for Open Door Clinic.

“Rick has been an outstanding help to the clinic,” Kennedy said. “His constant effort to raise funds and awareness of HIV/AIDS has been extraordinary as he works tirelessly to bring new events, create new donors and to help our clients in every way he can.”

Kennedy said the chocolate fundraiser earlier this year raised $29,000, thanks to Kautz for bringing cast members from the Chicago production of “Jersey Boys” to perform at the event.

And the money is a welcome sight at the clinic, which serves 491 clients and their families compared to when the clinic first opened in 1975 and provided care for five clients, Kennedy said.

The Arcada event will feature Duke's original role as Helen Keller, for which she won Best Supporting Actress at age 16.

Duke, whose own public story about dealing with bipolar disease brought much attention to treatment of that illness, also brought “The Miracle Worker” to the stage as a director in May when it appeared in Spokane, Wash.

At the Arcada, Duke will participate in an onstage interview with Daily Herald film critic Dann Gire and answer questions from the audience.General admission tickets are $15, and VIP tickets at $55 include a post-event #8220;meet-and-greet#8221; with Duke at Townhouse Books in St. Charles. Tickets are available at opendoorclinic.com or by calling (847) 697-5407.And what will happen to the clinic's fundraising efforts if Kautz were offered a job and went back to work full-time?#8220;Meeting people like Ron Onesti and Patty Duke, while also doing something for the clinic, well, that's what is filling my pockets right now,#8221; Kautz said.