News

'Wicked' good fun to be had at Marklund charity ball

Posted February 12, 2009 10:00 pm

By Jamie Greco Daily Herald Correspondent

In keeping with Valentine's Day, red is the theme for this weekend's Top Hat Ball to benefit Marklund, a Geneva-based care facility for people with severe and profound developmental disabilities.

But the big news is green.

Dee Roscioli, who played Elphaba, the green witch, in the recently closed Chicago production of "Wicked," will lunch with five auction winners and their guests to raise money for the charity.

The actress will talk about her experience with "Wicked" and pass out memorabilia, which guarantees five exultant musical fans.

Wicked is the hugely popular musical retelling of the iconic story of "The Wizard of Oz." The musical focuses on the relationship between Glinda, traditionally known as the good witch, and Elphaba, known as the Wicked Witch, as they form a friendship at school and learn acceptance along the way.

The play seems to speak to adolescents, many of whom attended performances over and over again.

"I think it has universal themes of acceptance," said Roscioli. "Every adolescent kid struggles with who they are. I think the show takes a deeper view of that. I also think it's the nostalgia of 'The Wizard of Oz.'"

Roscioli, who played Elphaba since December of 2006, admits to being a little relieved at the closing of "Wicked."

"It's kind of nice," she said. "I did it for so long.

"You want to go out to dinner with your boyfriend. You want to do something on a Sunday afternoon, and when you have a job like that, you can't."

Her time off has also given her the opportunity to participate in the Marklund fundraiser.

"There was another ... 'dinner with the cast' (event) but I was unable to (participate) because it was between shows and it was too hard to do," Roscioli said. "Now I have some time if I can help people out, I would love to."

Roscioli, who resides in Chicago, a city that "stole her heart," spent her childhood in Easton, Pa., dreaming of the career she has now attained while doing local productions of "Annie" and studying her art.

"A lot of people wonder what they're going to do; I always knew," she says of acting.

Lunch with Rosciloi is certainly an attention grabber on a list of many such items and adventures being auctioned to benefit Marklund.

Other auctions items include a weekend in Germany's Black Forest with use of a Porsche 911; a scrimmage with Blackhawk alumni, a family Disney cruise; trips to Paris, Costa Rica, Tuscany and Vail, Colorado, high end jewelry and sports memorabilia and much more.

The acquisition of such remarkable auction items is the responsibility of Jeannine Zupo of Plainfield, who has worked for Marklund for 13 years in the fund-raising department. She is also the director of the Top Hat Ball.

According to Zupo, it all starts with a committee and a charity-minded brainstorm. "We do a really cool meeting with a who knows who theme," said Zupo. "We talk about unattainable items, that if money were no object what we would like to do.

"Crazy things come up like a Porsche in the Black Forest and we talk about who knows who and how to obtain these things. It's magical."

Greg Osko of Wheaton exemplifies that feeling and will receive the annual "Friend of the Year" award at the Ball. According to Zupo, "The Marklund Friend of the Year must demonstrate, publicly or privately, a heart of gold and the willingness to serve Marklund's infants, children and adults in a ways that will affect their lives significantly, now and in the future."

Osko, who is currently the CEO of Trust Company of Illinois, has served Marklund on the board of directors, The Top Hat Ball Committee and the steering committee when the now 5-year-old Geneva Mill Creek campus was being proposed.

"It was a miracle that it got done," he said of the campus "At the time the state was not approving campuses. There was a trend toward all these very small homes, which is fine with people who don't have great medical needs. But if you have to provide round-the-clock nursing care it's not very practical."

The Geneva campus consists of six 16-bed homes, according to Zupo.

"We have a developmental training site. We have the Miracle League Ball Field, it's a pretty great place."

"I'm just touched by the people who can devote their lives to taking care of that population," Osko said. "It would be hard or impossible for me to do. It's been a great place to become associated with."

Sue Wick's family is one of those whose appreciation of Marklund knows no bounds.

Her story began when she adopted a 3-year-old little girl from Romania in 2000. Although the girl they named Erin seemed healthy, she began to exhibit troubling behavior.

"Within a period of nine months she started having these strange behaviors where she would fall down. She'd be sitting at a table and kind of slump over to one side," the Lombard resident said.

The new parents attributed the issues to trouble sleeping until Erin began talking out of one side of her mouth thus beginning a barrage of tests. The diagnosis was devastating: subacute sclerosing panencephalitis or SSPE, a rare chronic, progressive encephalitis that mostly affects children and young adults and is caused by an infection of the immune-resistant measles virus.

"She had the measles when she was six months old, which was misdiagnosed as pneumonia," said Wick. "When you have the measles under (age) two, the virus stays in the brain. Most of the time nothing happens but it was dormant and came out in this way."

The parents were told that her brain would eventually turn to liquid and gave her about 18 months to live. That was in 2001. By December 2003, Erin was still living at home and requiring round the clock care. Her parents were advised to look for future care for their daughter, as her needs would soon outpace their ability to provide for them.

The Wicks decided on Marklund after investigating their options and expected a 2-3 year wait. To the family's surprise, an opening soon became available, and the decision was made to move Erin into the facility, which is near the Wick's home.

"Since that time she has thrived," said Wick. "She's happy. It's unbelievable. Every time you see her she's got a smile on her face. They take such good care of her; they even paint her fingernails and do her hair."

Erin, who is now 11, goes to Strafford Middle School, where she is enrolled in special education classes.

'Erin's care at Marklund is nothing short of remarkable," said her mother. "She is so happy that when we bring her home she will whine, because she gets constant attention over there."

"Thank God there's a place like Marklund," Wick said. "I don't know what I'd do without Marklund."

If you go What: The 13th annual Top Hat Ball to benefit Marklund When: 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14 Where: Navy Pier's Grand Ballroom, 600 E. Grand Ave., Chicago Tickets: $325 per person and include cocktails, dinner, live auction, entertainment and dancing Info: Call Jeannine Zupo at (630) 624-9874 or visit <a href="http://www.marklund.org" target="new">www.marklund.org</a>