Above / News that Bridge Communities is returning to downtown Naperville to host its 6th Annual A Chair Affair, partnering with Naperville Parks Foundation to present Hobson Oak artwork at the event, brought back memories of the historic landmark before it was cut down on Nov. 17, 2016. (PN File Photo)
UPDATE, June 30, 2019 / The 6th Annual A Chair Affair raised more than $70,000—the funding equivalent to house six homeless families each for an entire year in the Bridge Communities Transitional Housing Program.
Original Post, May 8, 2019 / Glen Ellyn, IL—Bridge Communities’ 6th Annual A Chair Affair event is getting set for its three-week exhibit in shops and businesses throughout downtown Naperville. The artistic display of chairs and other designs crafted from wood will welcome the community to vote for its favorite items. The results of voting will be announced during the annual cocktail auction and fundraising gala on Thurs., June 13, held this year at Elements at Water Street.
For 2019, Bridge Communities is partnering with the Naperville Parks Foundation to feature five pieces of artwork made from Naperville’s revered Hobson Oak, the historic landmark that stood along Hobson Road for more than two centuries.
These pieces, along with a dozen more creations from local artists, with be auctioned at the benefit held at the Elements at Water Street event space inside the Naperville Riverwalk’s Hotel Indigo.
Items made from the Hobson Oak this year include a raw edge coffee table; a curved console table; a living room chair; and an end table. A sketch of the Hobson Oak, encased in a frame made from the tree, also will be featured. All artists for the project were carefully selected and entrusted with the wood, which had been harvested and specially kiln dried in 2016.
“We’re thrilled to have this partnership between Bridge and the Naperville Parks Foundation this year,” stated Vicky Joseph, Community Outreach Coordinator, Bridge Communities, in a news release. “The Hobson Oak is such a beloved piece of Naperville’s heritage. It’s an honor to have artwork made from this tree at our event, which celebrates community, philanthropy and the transformative power of art.”
Exhibit and online voting begin May 24
Starting May 24, all of the unique chairs, tables, desks and more will be on display throughout businesses in downtown Naperville. Online voting for the artwork will be available through June 13, the day the exhibit will be moved to Elements at Water Street for the main event that evening—and revelers with the highest bids will have the opportunity to take home a favorite chair that night. Proceeds from the event go directly to support the programs serving Bridge Communities families in the Naperville area.
Proceeds from Hobson Oak items’ will be split between Naperville Parks Foundation and Bridge Communities.
Early bird tickets for the June 13 event are $50 until June 7 ($60 thereafter) and include an hors d’oeuvres and dessert buffet, plus an open bar.
Bridge Communities has expressed gratitude to community sponsors for making this event possible.
Tickets are now available at www.bridgecommunities.org. Voting for the “favorite chair” starts May 24, 2019.
Bridge Communities
Bridge Communities is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization with a mission to provide housing, mentoring and supportive services to homeless families in DuPage County. Bridge Communities’ vision is a community where all families have safe, sustainable and affordable housing and life-long self-sufficiency. In the past 31 years, Bridge Communities has helped more than 850 families cross the bridge from homelessness to hope and self-sufficiency. For more information, visit www.bridgecommunities.org.
News item submitted by Lisa Doyle, Marketing and Communications Manager, for Bridge Communities. (PN Photos)
