A record crowd celebrates life at “Rockin’ Under the Stars” event
The sounds of children laughing, splashing, dancing, singing, running, and rejoicing echoed throughout the Highland Park Recreation Center on Saturday, October 28th. In a setting that reflected Rory’s love of sports and friends, the latest installment of the biannual Rory David Deutsch Foundation Family Event was a rousing and resounding success.
With the theme, “Rockin’ Under the Stars: A Family Exercise in Hope and Help,” this evening of food and fun, games and prizes, exercise and entertainment drew nearly 800 people and raised close to $400,000 for The Foundation. “Quite simply, it was an amazing event,” said Robin Baba, who once again partnered with Beth Conen as co-chair. “This was one of our largest turnouts, and we couldn’t be more thrilled.”
The parade of parents, young adults, and children who flowed into the recreation center were very eager to jump into the pool, hit the basketball court, or test their skill and luck in activities that included everything from “R-O-R-Y-D” Bingo to the Ping Pong Toss – where they could win a live goldfish. There was also an exhibit known as the Dance Heads in which individuals could view on video their heads on top of dancing animated creatures. “With music playing, they would stand in front of a green screen and a camera would capture their heads on these little cartoon bodies,” explained Beth Conen. “To see the children running around and having such a great time was really priceless, but I think the parents had just as much fun.”
When they were not joining their children in the games and activities, parents were swept up in the excitement of the event’s raffle and live auction. Raffle prizes included a laptop computer, a Vespa, his and her Hermes watches, and, the Grand Prize, a 2006 Toyota Scion. Everyone who attended received a backpack filled with a Rory fan, a gift certificate to Dalaj Men’s store, an Auntie Anne gift certificate, and a Rory lunch bag.
The live auction began with inspiring words from Ross and Mindy. In showing their gratitude to all of those who participated in the event, they offered special thanks to Ross’s mother Enid and sister Ellyn for their tireless support of The Foundation. With the help of special guest Chris Duhon of the Chicago Bulls, auctioneers Allen Sutker and Marc Rush coordinated the bidding on tempting auction items that included a golden retriever puppy, a Golden Tee video game, the opportunity for a child to serve as an honorary batboy or batgirl at a Cubs game, a Tickle Me Elmo doll, a house in Puerto Vallarta, and tickets to attend an American Idol show. In true star character, the grown-ups in the house elevated their best offers.
“For this event, there are so many people to thank that it’s impossible to know where to begin,” said Robin. “As in past years, Marcello’s Catering provided us with a wonderful dinner and we’re incredibly grateful to all of those who offered goods and services for the event’s raffle and auction.” Beth talked about the crowd-pleasing performances that kept the evening light and certainly lively. “We set up an entertainment area, and each one of the groups presented had both kids and parents mesmerized,” she said. There were The Highland Park Jammers a high school dance troupe, the rhythmic creations of the Highland Park High School Garbage Can Band, and the ‘60s and ‘70s dance music of the Basement Band. “We owe them great thanks for sharing their talents with us,” said Beth.
Both Robin and Beth extend credit to many others for their remarkable efforts in coordinating this and four previous events. “We just couldn’t do this without the help of The Foundation’s dedicated team of volunteers,” said Robin. “There are always a lot of new faces and fresh ideas that keep this event going strong, and there are so many that continue to contribute each and every time.”
Those dedicated supporters include an impressive collection of children who have enjoyed this event in past years and are now old enough to enjoy it as volunteer helpers. Robin’s son was Rory’s friend and now, as a volunteer, she has watched him and others grow from their experience with Foundation events. “It has been so meaningful for him and for the rest of our family to be a part of this,” she said. “It really helps kids realize what other children have endured, but also that we can continue to play a role in efforts that might help find a cure to such diseases.”
“It’s so important to Ross and Mindy that kids be involved in The Foundation’s work,” added Beth. “They are really what it’s all about,” she said. “This event is so much fun because, like Rory, it celebrates life.”
At the end of this celebration, everyone gathered outside of the Highland Park Recreation Center for a spectacular fireworks show. It was the culmination of an event filled with stars…paying tribute to a bright star that continues to shine in their lives.