UPDATE / 2017: The 6th Annual Kentucky Derby Gala will be held from 3-10PM  on Sat., May 6, 2017, at Embassy Suites/Naperville. Dancing to the live local band, The Waterdawgs, begins at 7PM. Stay tuned!
UPDATE / 2016: The 5th Annual Kentucky Derby Gala will be held from 3-7PM  on Sat., May 7, 2016, at Embassy Suites/Naperville. Stay tuned! The 2016 committee has been meeting since October 2015 to add new twists and turns to create the best time ever, including the Derby after Dark party.
And who said the Annual Kentucky Derby Gala, a Benefit for Hesed House, was about a horse race on the first Saturday in May? Hats off to fundraising!
Presenting the 2016 Kentucky Derby Gala Committee!
Considered the most exciting two minutes in sports, the “Run for the Roses” will be celebrated at the Gerald Subaru 4th Annual Kentucky Derby Gala from 3-7PM Sat., May 2, 2015, at the Chicago Marriott Naperville. By the end of the popular fundraising event during its first three times out of the gate, Hesed House has reigned the winner.
Again this year, live coverage of the Kentucky Derby will be broadcast on dual theater screens, complemented by great food and drinks, live jazz and singing “My Old Kentucky Home.” Revelers can participate in live and silent auctions as well as raffles for baskets filled to the brim with gift items, all of which will raise funds to help homeless men, women and children at Hesed House return to independent, productive lives.
Celebrate the Hesed House 2015 Humanitarian of the Year
At the Gala, Hesed House is proud to present its 2015 Humanitarian of the Year Award to Joy and Rogers Freedlund.  The couple will be recognized for their generosity and kindness—and Rogers’ leadership on the Hesed House Board of Trustees—that have impacted the lives of homeless individuals and families at Hesed House for nearly 20 years.
Up for bid…
Enticing auction items will include an Instant Wine Cellar comprised of 100 bottles of highly sought-after wines with a retail value  in excess of $10,000, a Joliet Speedway multiple-race package and an exclusive, private Executive Suite and VIP day for 16 people at Arlington Park Racecourse.
Not to be outdone by exciting recreation and dining packages, the now-famous “Derby Diamond Draw” will feature an exquisite pearl necklace enhanced by a Mikimoto pearl and diamond piece retail valued at $10,000. The hat contests are also a top attraction for both men and women who strut their distinctive wears.
The Kentucky Derby Gala is open to the public with advance reservations. Tickets are $150 per person/open seating and $1,500/reserved table of 10. A portion of every reservation is tax deductible under current tax law.
For complete details about the Gala, auction items, making reservations or becoming a Gala sponsor, contact Mary at (630) 914-6428 or at mkoehler@hesedhouse.org.
For more information about Hesed House, visit www.hesedhouse.org.
RELATED STORY / PHOTOS / Kentucky Derby Gala for Hesed House 2013Â / For more, use the Search of Something tool to find “Hesed House.”
