Maryville Award Gala to help kids, families in need

Des Plaines-based Maryville will celebrate its 132-year mission of serving children and families when it hosts its 10th annual Award Gala on Friday, April 29, at Morgan Manufacturing in Chicago.

The event is Maryville's largest annual fundraiser for the programs and services of its Center for Children on the Chicago's Northwest Side.

The gala will honor Bert A. Getz Jr., Co-CEO of Globe Corp., with the 2016 Guardian Medallion Award. As director of Globe Foundation, Getz supports organizations he believes "help the most fragile families in our society and do so against great odds."

This philanthropic philosophy is what eventually introduced Getz to the Maryville Center for Children and its programs.

"Maryville does such important work," the Northfield resident said. "Financial and familial support has to start at the youngest level. Help somebody with a young child and you'll be giving them the fabric to succeed."

In 2011, Globe Foundation, the primary philanthropic vehicle for the Getz Family, committed $100,000 to fund capital improvements at the Maryville Center for Children, which included construction of a sensory garden and accessible playground. The foundation in 2015 made a second gift of $200,000 for additional improvements at the center.

For Getz, his older brother, George, and his sister, Lynn, philanthropy is a family tradition.

"Our family has always served," he said. "We like to do larger, brick-and-mortar gifts that can have a greater impact, as opposed to smaller gifts. It's much more about philanthropy than charity - it's about investing in people."

The Maryville Center for Children includes:

• Maryville Crisis Nursery, the only 24/7, 365-day-a-year facility in the Chicago area that offers short-term, emergency care for children, ages birth through six years.

• Maryville Children's Healthcare Center, a care facility for medically fragile, technology-dependent children. Its mission is to help children make a safe transition from hospital to home.

The gala begins at 6 p.m. at 401 N. Morgan St. in Chicago, and includes a cocktail reception, dinner, live entertainment, live and silent auctions, a wine pull and a raffle. An after party begins at 9 p.m., hosted by the Maryville Junior Board and featuring DJ Matt Roan.

Gala tickets are $350 per person, and include admission to the after party. Tickets for the after party are $60 per person.

For information, contact Tina Hock at (847) 294-1982. To register, visit www.maryvilleacademy.org.