Associate Board Activities and Events

The Associate Board actively supports the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) and its programs through the activities detailed below:

Bearcat Ball

ArtFutura

Associate Board Companions/Volunteering

Annual fundraising events produced by the Associate Board include:

Bearcat Ball

Mark your calendar for the 11^th Annual Bearcat Ball on Saturday, October 24, 2009! This year the ball has an exciting new home at the Chicago Cultural Center, Yates Gallery.

The Bearcat Ball is named for the Stutz Bearcat, a luxury automobile manufactured in the 1920s. It is purported to have carried the heroes and heroines of author F. Scott Fitzgerald' s day to yacht clubs and secluded roadhouses. The ultimate statement of class, style and luxury, the Bearcat is as much a symbol of 1920s youth as jazz and raccoon coats.

This lavishly entertaining black-tie event held each fall benefits RIC' s Pediatric Programming. The Pediatric Charity Care Fund at RIC provides prosthetic devices and specialized treatment for children with disabilities whose families cannot otherwise afford their care. Register for the 2009 Bearcat Ball.

Last Year's Event

The 10^th Annual Bearcat Ball was held on November 15, 2008, at The

Merchandise Mart in Chicago. See photos from the event. The event included delicious cuisine and drinks from Chicago's finest restaurants, a silent auction, casino gaming and a live performance by Neil Diamond tribute band Super Diamond.

The Tree of Life Award is annually presented at the ball to an individual who has played a significant role in making a difference in the lives of people with disabilities. The 2008 Tree of Life recipient was Greta Neimanas, member of the 2008 U.S. Paralympic Cycling team. Greta, born with her left arm missing below the elbow, found her passion in sports and motivated others as a camp counselor for The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago's Caring for Kids program. She inspired her mother to establish Families of Amputees in Motion (FAIM) to support families of children born with limb differences.

The Bearcat Ball is named for the Stutz Bearcat, a luxury automobile manufactured in the 1920s. It is purported to have carried the heroes and heroines of author F. Scott Fitzgerald's day to yacht clubs and secluded roadhouses. The ultimate statement of class, style and luxury, the Bearcat is as much a symbol of 1920s youth as jazz and raccoon coats.

This lavishly entertaining black-tie event held each fall benefits RIC's Pediatric Programming. The Pediatric Charity Care Fund at RIC provides prosthetic devices and specialized treatment for children with disabilities whose families cannot otherwise afford their care.

ArtFutura

The seventh annual ArtFutura exhibit will be May 22 – June 4, 2009, at the Chicago Apparel Center lobby to benefit RIC. A Closing Night Award Party on Thursday, June 4, will include music, hors d' oeuvres, artwork for sale and artists' awards. Funds raised at the 2009 help meet the Associate Board' s goal of continuing to fund RIC' s art therapist.

The exhibit will be juried by Mr. James Rondeau of The Art Institute and will feature more than 70 works by emerging and established artists. A special RIC patient exhibit also will be part of the show. The show opens May 22 and will be open to the public from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

Funds raised at the juried art exhibition and awards reception help support the Therapeutic Recreation program and fund RIC' s part-time art therapist. This person plays an invaluable role in the rehabilitation of patients at the hospital and their overall rehabilitation experience. Art therapy is based on the belief that the creative process involved in the making of art is healing and life-enhancing.

RIC' s Therapeutic Recreation program, including art therapy, contributes to the rehabilitation process by improving and maintaining physical, cognitive, emotional and social functioning - enhancing patients' independence and improving their overall quality of life.