Holiday Party 2010

By: Rico Howard

The Chicago Scholars Class Officers and staff put together the largest and most successful holiday party in the foundation's history! Lee Gordon, the financal chair of our board, and Mr. Richard Mesirow kindly hosted our party at the Mesirow Financial auditorium in the North Loop. Over 175 guests attended over the course of the evening including our founder Tim Schwertfeger, his wife Gail Waller, Kristie Paskvan the CFO of Mesirow Financial and students' friends and family.

Given the large and diverse group of guests, the Class Officers acknowledged multiple holidays happening around this time of year including: Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Yalda, Eid-ul-Fitr, Diwali and Las Posadas.

Activities this year included a table for making bedside packets for patients of Children's Memorial Hospital where students filled bags full of little toys and supplies to make crafts. A second table was for a game called "Guess Who?!" where students had to identify the staff and Class Officers in their baby pictures. Finally, the raffle was a big success as well! Guests were able to earn more raffle tickets by completing all activities and meeting all of the Class Officers.

The Chicago Scholars Foundation would like to extend a sincere thank you to Starbucks Coffee and Exchequer Restaurant for donating a few of the raffle prizes awarded that night, to Soppraffina's for their in-kind donation of catering and finally to Mesirow Financial for allowing us to hold our party in their beautiful auditorium space.

Photography by: Rico Howard