Chicago cocktails for a cause! GO for Malawi at Rockit Bar & Grill!

Ready to do some good, Chicago? We’re Jessica and Amanda, and we’re working with Groundwork Opportunities (GO) to help put an end to world hunger. Swing by River North’s Rockit Bar & Grill on May 16 from 6:00-8:00pm to drink, mingle, and support GO’s incredible mission: investing in groundbreaking ideas, empowering local leaders, and engaging communities to create a world beyond poverty.

All the proceeds of this event will go directly to a small village in Malawi, Africa, allowing them to purchase agricultural equipment, seeds, and any other necessary materials to start a farm. The fundraising goal is $5,000, which is enough to cover everything the village needs to begin growing food and providing jobs.

The event includes two hours of unlimited beer and wine, as well as two specially crafted cocktails. Food will also be available at a 50% discount. Cubs and Sox tickets, signed Blackhawks memorabilia, one-month fitness memberships, and several other items will be available through a silent auction.

Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door. To purchase tickets, click here. You can also watch our video or donate here. If Chicago can help a village in Malawi, who knows the impact that the ripple effect will have!

- Jessica and Amanda

Tags: africa, blackhawks, charity, cubs, empowering local leaders, fight hunger, GO for Malawi, Groundwork Opportunities, hunger charity in Chicago, local charity event in Chicago, Malawi, river north, rockit bar & grill, silent auction, Sox, world hunger

‘Working In The Schools’ Needs Your Help

Tags: Bears' kicker Robbie Gould, Founder-All Terrain Inc., WITS, WITSummer Books, Working In The Schools

Calling all Chicago Wine and Rock Enthusiasts!

Tags: Bob Stroud, chicago, food, magnificent mile, michigan avenue, Music, rock and roll, The Drive 97.1, The Signature Room at the 95th®, wine

Nike North v South Softball Battle w/ White Sox AJ Pierzynski, Bears Johnny Knox, Rockit Ranch Billy Dec & more!

Via Meghan Goulette: Had such a fun afternoon in the park yesterday with our CEO, Billy Dec, after invited to watch him play in the Nike Northside vs Southside Challenge. White Sox player AJ Pierzynski may have coached the Southside team to a victory, but Billy and the Northside crew gave them a  run for their money (led by Johnny Knox of the Chicago Bears who stepped in to coach when Cubs’ Ryan Dempster ended up on DL). The event showcased the Nike Fuel Band, keeping stats on calories (check the video for Johnny poking a little fun at Billy’s stats), steps & more…I actually just bought the band for my dad! Highlight of the game by far was Billy’s double play complete with a sky high catch (AJ coined it the “2nd best catch ever”…see what he called first best in the video). Shout out to all the players listed below!

Billy Dec
Trevor Kuhn
Tim Seong
Brotha Fred
Lisa Frame
Edgar Rico
Frank Cashmost
Adam Crouch
Chris Sifuentes
Berj Alexanian
Marie Purvis
Julie DiCaro
Frank Kladis
Players Player
AJ Pierzynski
Ernest Wilkins
Kayla Duffy
Michael Myers
Alex Gallegos
Kristin Cullinan
Frankie Loeza
DJDimepiece
Julie Zakarias
Joe Cowley
Kelli Zink
Twitter Player
Michael Bittles

Tags: AJ Pierszynski, baseball, bears, billy dec, chicago, cubs, football, Fuel Band, johnny knox, Nike, white sox

Grand Slam Hit It Out of the Park

I attended the 6^th Annual Grand Slam Party at Rockit Bar & Grill last week and would love to tell you all about it…just in case you missed out. The Grand Slam party is an event that stems from the Bring Me Home campaign, which is an amazing union between the Chicago White Sox’s Paul Konerko and Gordon Beckham and Children’s Home + Aid, a foster organization in Chicago.  The event was one of those unique experiences that, if you’re a White Sox fan, it’s something you definitely don’t want to miss in the future.  Paul Konerko and Gordon Beckham took pictures with everyone who attended the event – including this lucky intern!  They were beyond friendly and nice to the fans and definitely loved interacting with the kids.  They had a silent auction with signed memorabilia from Konerko and Beckham, a special drawing to win 4 tickets to the August 20^th game vs. the Yankees, as well a raffle to win signed hats and baseballs from Beckham and Konerko!

I was fortunate enough to talk with Children Home + Aid’s President and CEO, Nancy Ronquillo to learn more about the relationship between the White Sox and the organization.  The idea to team up with a local kid’s charity came about 6 years ago when Paul Konerko and Jim Thome wanted to give back to the community, so they listened to various charities pitch their missions.  Enter Children’s Home + Aid.  They pitched their organization, which has been around for an impressive 129 years, and for Konerko it was an easy choice; his wife, Jen, was raised with foster siblings so the cause hit close to home.  In 2009 when Thome was no longer with the team, Gordon Beckham stepped up to the plate to lend a helping hand.  They’ve raised over $350,000 since the partnership began.  Children’s Home + Aid has over 1,000 kids in its system and they’re always looking for foster families, mentors, and volunteers for various events.

The Grand Slam party really was a great event and having the star power of two of the most well-known baseball players in the city on hand definitely helped…not to mention an appearance by Governor Quinn, a big White Sox fan – trust me, listening to him talk baseball was kind of amusing, I never would have guessed our Governor knew so much about the team, nor was so passionate about them; I was quite impressed.  The coolest thing I witnessed was the surprise live auction, which was for 4 Gold Coast Club tickets to an upcoming game as well as the opportunity to have your picture taken on the field with the players before the game; estimated value: $1,000.  The bidding quickly rose to over $2,000 at which point Konerko grabbed the mic to offer a little more incentive to get the bidding going a little higher.  At this point there were 4 people who were bidding against one another so Paulie asked them what it would take for them to get to $3,000.  Everyone started shouting out suggestions: throw out the first pitch, meet AJ Pierszynski before the game (to which Konerko said, “trust me, it’s not that great”), get a tour of the clubhouse, meet Robin Ventura, Konerko asked what all of that would be worth to the bidders; one said he’d go to $3,500.  The other 3 followed suit and said they would match that.  Instead of creating more of a bidding war, Paulie asked a staffer from the Sox if it would be possible to do 4 separate days, they said yes, so all four bidders won in the end.  Konerko also offered the bidders each a signed bat “for being good sports.”  The live auction brought in an impressive $14,000 for Children’s Home + Aid. Impressive right? I’d say so!

-Alex Chwastek

Tags: 6th Annual Grand Slam Party, AJ Pierszynski, August 20th game vs. the Yankees, baseballs, bidding, Bring me home campaign, ceo, Chicago White Sox, Children's Home + Aid, clubhouse, foster, Gold Coast Club, Gordon Beckham, governor pat quinn, hats, Jen Konerko, jim thome, local charity, mentors, Nancy Ronquillo, organization, Paul Konerko, raffle, Robin Ventura, rockit bar & grill, signed memorabilia, volunteers

Sox Superstars Paul Konerko & Gordon Beckham Go to Bat for Foster Kids!

Hi! My name is Cara Dickerson and I am the Empress…I mean Manager of Events for Children’s Home + Aid. We are SO excited to partner with Chicago White Sox stars Paul Konerko and Gordon Beckham to kick off our 6^th Annual Bring Me Home Campaign…and I’m even more excited to tell you all about it!

On Sunday, June 10^th Paul Konerko and Gordon Beckham invite you to join their team as they step up to the plate to help Illinois’ foster kids.  Meet and mingle with Chicago White Sox superstars Paul Konerko and Gordon Beckham as they host the 6^th Annual Bring Me Home Campaign Grand Slam Party at Rockit Bar & Grill from 6-8pm.  Proceeds from this event benefit the foster care programs of Children’s Home + Aid, a leading child and family service agency.

Paul Konerko and Jim Thome launched the Bring Me Home Campaign in 2007, and in 2010 Gordon Beckham joined the Campaign to raise support for the needs of foster children through public awareness, advocacy and fundraising efforts, while also helping foster children and families directly through holiday gift drives and back-to-school shopping sprees.

To purchase tickets to the Grand Slam Party or to see how you can get involved with the Bring Me Home Campaign click here!

Here’s some more information about Children’s Home + Aid:

Each year Children’s Home + Aid serves nearly 40,000 children and families in need. Through its dedicated team of volunteers and staff who deliver more than 70 comprehensive social service programs throughout 40 Illinois counties, Children’s Home + Aid helps children and families overcome the overwhelming obstacles of poverty, abuse and neglect. Children’s Home + Aid is a compassionate advocate for the welfare of children and families. It is recognized as a leading social service agency because it continues to provide quality services to children and families, helping them to achieve healthy family structures and self-sufficiency.

By: Cara Dickerson

Tags: 2007, 2010, 6th Annual Bring Me Home Campaign, baseball, Cara Dickerson, Chicago White Sox, Children's Home + Aid, Family, foster, Gordon Beckham, grand slam party, jim thome, Paul Konerko, poverty, rockit bar & grill, school, social service agency, supplies, support, welfare

Rock Away Racism At The Hard Rock Hotel

When my eyes first glanced at the list of Yelp! Chicago events coming up, one stood out. It included the words, “Rock” & “Racism”…so as a music lover & minority I was naturally intrigued. As I read on, it became apparent to me that I had one place to be on Thursday, February 23^rd and that was The Hard Rock Hotel.

For the 3^rd year in a row, the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago’s Future Leaders Council is putting on a concert, called Rock Away Racism. The YWCA’s mission is ‘dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.’ So by throwing this concert they hope to bring awareness to the issue of racism as well as promote inclusiveness through music celebration. They’ve rallied up some of the best emerging artists from our city to rock out and the best part about it is that’s for a great cause.

You can expect to see Jess Godwin, Endiskize, DJ Madrid and Jamiah “On Fire” & The Red Machine hit the Hard Rock Hotel stage for this three- hour concert. Raffle tickets will be floating around the Hard Rock so for just $10 you enter yourself for a chance to win an iPad, free hotel stays, spa packages, gift cards, or my favorite: Chicago Bulls “Portrait of an Era” book, Chicago Bears memorabilia, Chicago White Sox A.J. Pierzynski autographed baseball, Chicago Cubs stained glass panel!!

General Admission: Includes concert ticket and cash bar- $35

VIP: Includes concert ticket, lounge area, open bar and food- $85

By securing your spot at the concert your supporting YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, which is the OLDEST women-focused social service organization in Chicago!!

For tickets visit their site here.

Hope to see you there!

-Amanda Rivera

Tags: DJ Madrid, Endiskize, Hard Rock Hotel, Jamiah "On Fire" & The Red Machine, Jess Godwin, Rock Away Racism, women, YWCA

Chicago white sox teams up with sunda restaurant to celebrate asian american heritage night!

if you haven’t already heard, Sunda has been asked to cohost the Chicago White Sox Asian American Heritage night next Wednesday, July 28th at 7:10PM @ Cellular field when our #1 team in the Central Division beats the Seattle Mariners! Not only am I honored to be asked to throw out the 1st pitch (see video above of mvp Jermaine Dye freaking me out before my last 1st pitch!), but would be more than honored if you all joined us, so got you and your friends 50% off tickets for the big game! and if going, got you $25 off your meal at sunda if join us before or after the game that night!

To access the above info & tix… visit facebook.com/SundaChicago .. and btw, I am giving 2 tix away to come to the game w/me on twitter, and 2 tix away on my facebook page, to the friend/follower on each with the most “votes!” To get a vote, just have a friend say 1) why you should get the free tix & 2) that they follow me now because of you (they must be a “friend”/”follower” to count)! Picking the winners this Monday 5p so hurry!

Tags: billy dec, dye, first pitch, jermaine, marke buehrle, white sox

Victoria's Secret Models join Cubs vs Sox Party at Rockit Wrigley w/ B96.3 Broadcasting Live!

We now have the most epic preparty combo ever in chicago this Friday at rockit wrigley! our cubs vs white sox “crosstown classic” kickoff party is now adding b96 radio “stylz & roman” broadcasting live from inside rockit wrigley from 10a-2p (fyi, last time we joined forces the party was over the top!)… and we now have a couple Victoria’s secret pink supermodels joining the party as well as they stop into chicago to promote the new cubs/sox pink gear that rocks! Doors open 9am as we are also showing world cup kickoff… everyone is invited!

And, just to share in the fun as I always do, I am giving one twitter follower or facebook friend a chance to be my personal guest from the time we eat, drink, hang w/ the Victoria’s secret supermodels & b96 at rockit Wrigley for the big preparty… all the way through sitting front row at the cubs vs sox game with me as I got you a ticket!!!! All you have to do is tweet me or post on my page, the craziest pickup line you’ve ever heard (as suggested by a twitter follower) and include in that message, to follow me/friend my page…I will pick the best one by midnight tomorrow/Thursday! Better hurry!

Read more for contest specifics, cross town classic history and new victoria’s secret pink line….

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Tags: B96.3, baseball, billydec, cellular field, chicago, comisky park, contest, crosstown classic, cubs, facebook, lingere, pink, Radio, roman, stylz, ticket win, twitter, victoria's secret, victoria's secret angels, white sox, wrigley, wrigley field

World Malaria Day in Chicago

Tags: africa, american idol, charity, chicago bears, elliott yamin, emmy, entourage, golden globes, governor pat quinn, idol gives back, japan, jeremy piven, jerry azumah, kyoto, malaria, malaria no more, mariners, pat quinn, white sox, world malaria day