Enjoy “What’s on Dec” this week on ABC TV “Windy City Live!”

Click here to see Rockit Ranch CEO Billy Dec‘s inside scoop on the best parties, fests, games, concerts, events.. on his latest Thursday 9am weekly ABC TV segment called “What’s on Dec” on “Windy City Live!”

Tags: abc, billy dec, chicago, chicago events, chicago festivals, chicago suburb events, chicago weekend events, concerts in chicago, Entertainment Contributor, family events, news, Weekend, weekend events, What's on Dec, windy city live

Child’s Voice School: Small School Doing Big Things for Hearing Impaired Children

My name is Julie Stratis and thanks to Child’s Voice School, my son, Danny now has opportunities in life we never thought he would have. Danny has a cochlear implant – an incredible example of modern technology. The cochlear implant gives him access to sound, but Child’s Voice taught him how to hear and gave him his voice. The school has empowered us as a family.

Child’s Voice School is changing lives. This small, non-profit, oral deaf school is located in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. The annual Spring Fundraiser/Family Reunion will be held at the Brookfield Zoo this Saturday, May 4. Funds raised directly impact the children and empower the families in many ways. Providing hearing and speech therapy, music, science and art materials, and the support needed for Audiology services are just a few ways people can help make a difference through donations and sponsorships. You can change the lives of these children immensely!

Child’s Voice is an intense oral program for children who have hearing loss. At Child’s Voice, children are provided the skills and tools necessary to learn to listen and speak and to enjoy the sounds of their everyday lives. Children that participate in the school’s programs range in ages from birth through age eight. They represent a diverse population in geographic location, ethnicity and socio-economic situation. The current families are from over twenty different towns and cities located in six counties across Northern Illinois, with some traveling more than ninety minutes every day to receive services. It is an incredibly unique and amazing school that gives these deaf children new opportunities in life.

Child’s Voice is very excited to announce plans to expand to a new site located in the Roscoe Village.  This program will provide a much needed resource for children with hearing loss and their families to pursue a listening and spoken language education.

To see how you can make a difference or to read more about these amazing kids please visit Child’s Voice.

Thanks to Rockit Ranch Productions for your incredible support and helping these hearing impaired children and their families reach their dreams!

- Julie Stratis

Chairperson & Parent of Child’s Voice Alumni

Tags: art materials, Audiology services, Brookfield Zoo, chicago, Child's Voice, Child's Voice School, children, hearing, hearing loss, Music, non-profit school, oral program, Roscoe Village, science, speech programs Chicago, speech skills, speech therapy, sponsorships, Spring Fundraiser/Family Reunion

Your Invited to a Birthday Party: Celebrate 30 Years of Rainbows!

Hey Chicago! I am Liz Whelan and I’m working with Rainbows For All Children, the Chicago-based non-profit that focuses solely on helping children overcome the grief, fear and sadness that comes after a significant loss or tragedy. They are celebrating a milestone birthday and you are invited to help support their cause.

Join Kathy Brock and Miss Chicago 2013 as they celebrate three decades of Rainbows For All Children. The Chicago-based charity is celebrating its 30^th Anniversary by hosting a huge birthday party event on Wednesday, April 24 at the Union League Club of Chicago. The evening will include a touching tribute to Rainbows Founder and President, Suzy Yehl Marta, as well as a joyful look to the future. At $100 per person, the event will also feature plenty of culinary delights, libations and entertainment.

The newly-crowned Miss Chicago, Savannah Teegarden, will be introduced as Rainbows’ official partner ambassador.  The organization’s mission directly aligns with the Beauty Queen’s platform – helping children overcome loss and tragedy.

Rainbows 30^th Anniversary Celebration will kick-off at 5:30 p.m. with cocktails and entertainment. The dinner portion of the evening will begin at 6:30 p.m. The Union League of Chicago is located at 65 W. Jackson St. in Chicago’s loop.

For more information about the 30^th Anniversary celebration and Rainbows, please visit www.rainbows.org. To register for the event click here.

-Liz Whelan

Tags: Anniversary, beauty queen, birthday, cause, charity, chicago, children, Kathy Brock, Marta, Miss Chicago 2013, non-profit, Rainbows For All Children, Savannah Teegarden, support, Suzy Yehl, Union League Club of Chicago

Chicago’s Gluten & Allergen Free Expo 2013

Where are all my gluten free friends? Living gluten free seems like it has become a popular American trend, but many are required to sustain this diet for a healthy wellbeing. If you think back five years ago, when you asked for a gluten menu, chances are you would get a look of confusion. As if you just asked the server a trivia question of some sort. Luckily, gluten free options are popping up all around the Chicago scene including grocery stores dedicated to specific diets like Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe’s. But, I have something greater than a menu; the gluten free gods are now bringing us the USA’s largest – The Gluten & Allergen Free Expo!

On April 20^th-21^st, over 120 national and local Chicago vendors will take over The Schaumburg Renaissance Convention Center and transform it into a comfortable tasting for those with gluten and allergen sensitivities. Vendors will not only be offering tastings of their goodies but share knowledge about recipes and general tips about lifestyle. All vendors will have signage indicating allergy information—have no fear! Not only can you sample and purchase some of the products but attend classes about cooking, baking, traveling and saving money.

Some of the vendors you can expect to see are Glutino, Udi’s, Enjoy Life, San-J, Schar, Truebar, Ian’s, Whole Foods, Smart Flour, Rudi’s, Holy Crap, Pamela’s Products, Kinnikinnick Foods, Zee’s Apparel, Crunchmaster, AST Enzymes, Andean Dream, Kiki’s, Health Yip, Freedom Foods, Bella, Zipfizz, Zemas, Surf Sweets, Gluten Free Passport, Hail Merry, Blue Diamond, Lucy’s, Penn Street Bakery, El’s, Tasterie, Lola’s Gourmet Chocolate, The Gluten Free Bar, Farmo, Keeki, Chicago Vegan Foods and many more.

Calling all early birds! If you want to be first to meet the vendors the doors open at 9am both days for you! Tickets are $35 per adult and $10 for children ages 3-12. For 10am, regular admission, tickets are $20 per adult and $5 for children ages 3-12. For information about The Gluten & Allergen Free Expo, go here. Hope to see all you gluten and allergy free friends trying all the new goodies and spreading the love!

-Sammi Raines

Tags: allergen free, allergy, Andean Dream, AST Enzymes, Baking, Bella, Blue Diamond, chicago, Chicago Vegan Foods, classes, Cooking, Crunchmaster, diet, El’s, Enjoy Life, Farmo, Freedom Foods, gluten, gluten free, Gluten Free Passport, Glutino, Hail Merry, Health Yip, Holy Crap, Ian’s, Keeki, Kiki’s, Kinnikinnick Foods, lifestyle, Local, Lola’s Gourmet Chocolate, Lucy’s, menu, Pamela’s Products, Penn Street Bakery, restaurants, Rudi’s, sampling, San-J, saving money, Schar, sensitivity, Smart Flour, Surf Sweets, Tasterie, tasting, The Gluten Free & Allergen Free Expo, The Gluten Free Bar, The Schaumburg Renaissance Convention Center, Trader Joe’s, traveling, Truebar, Udi’s, vendors, whole foods, Zee’s Apparel, Zemas, Zipfizz

“Mothers in the Mills” Annual Benefit Hosted by The Puppy Mill Project

Attention all animal lovers! This is Cassy from Ripple Public Relations, and I wanted to spread the word about an amazing benefit coming up on Saturday, May 11^th at John Barleycorn River North (149 W. Kinzie). Chicago-based non-profit organization, The Puppy Mill Project, is holding their annual benefit to honor the “Mothers in the Mills”, just in time for Mother’s Day.

The “Mothers in the Mills” benefit was created to honor and bring attention to all mother dogs held captive in the mills on Mother’s Day weekend. The mother dogs are force bred until they are no longer profitable to the breeder. These breeders supply the puppies to pet stores and to the public, unbeknownst to them. This incredible organization is enlisting the help of the Chicagoland community for this heartfelt and truly inspiring event.

From 6:30-10:30pm, guests will be able to enjoy a night of drinks and dancing, with a gourmet buffet dinner, silent auction, and raffle prizes – all while contributing to a great cause. Steve Sanders,WGN-TV Anchorman will be the guest emcee, and Chicago fan favorite band, Out of Control, will be performing.  Tickets are $100 per person ($125 at the door), and can be purchased here.

It’s a fact that 99% of animals sold at pet stores are puppy mill animals that are bred in deplorable conditions. The mission of The Puppy Mill Project is to educate Chicago and beyond about these puppy mills, and put an end to this multi-billion dollar industry. Check out their YouTube video: “I Will Be Saved”.

For more information on The Puppy Mill Project, visit The Puppy Mill Project.

- Cassy Murphy, Ripple PR

Tags: anchorman, animal, animal lovers, benefit, breed, chicago, dinner, dogs, emcee, John Barleycorn River North, mills, Mother's Day, Mothers in the Mills, non-profit organization, Out of Control, pet stores, prizes, puppies, puppy, raffle, Ripple Public Relations, silent auction, Steve Sanders, The Puppy Mill Project, wgn tv

Billy Dec Discusses State of Restaurant Industry on WBBM FM Radio Business Hour

Andy Giersher of WBBM’s Noon Business Hour discusses today’s Restaurant Industry with Rockit Ranch Productions’ CEO/Founder, Billy Dec! Click this link to listen: WBBM FM Radio Noon Biz Hour

Billy and Andy cover various elements of dining and nightlife experiences including ::

1.) Visiting restaurants for an “elevated entertainment experience” …to be part of a community

2.) Why are restaurants so noisy

3.) Changing restaurant trends due to the recession

4.) Where Chicago stands in the US and the World as a “restaurant city”

5.) Can people really work their way up from the bottom to the top in a restaurant career

6.) The restaurant industry’s affect on local jobs

Tags: 105.9FM, 780AM, andy giersher, billy dec, CBS Radio, chicago, community, culinary, Employment, Entertainment Industry, Fine Dining, foodie, Lunch Money Friday, News Radio, Noon Business Hour, Radio, reality tv, Recession, Restaurant Industry, restaurants, rockit ranch productions, talent, trends, WBBM

Rave Runs Bring New Style to Chicago’s 5k

Hey Chicago!  I’m Kendall Rozell, the newest addition to Billy Dec’s intern team at Rockit Ranch Productions.  I have never been too keen on going for a run – the part that really excites me is listening to my favorite type of music, electronic dance.  So when the new trend of the Rave Run started spreading around Chicago, I knew I had to join in!

While running can be very serious and solitary, why not change it up by running in a 5k with glow sticks and dance music but still benefitting great causes?  This running season the Chicagoland area is being treated to three different glow-in-the-dark races

On Saturday, April 27th join runners from all over Chicago at Grant Park for The Rave Run.  Where adrenaline pumping music and special effects lights will pave the way of the course.  The Rave Run focuses on being happy and healthy as you run into a nocturnal world of lights.  The proceeds go to benefit local Chicago charities that are announced closer to the date of the race.

If you can’t make it then, try Living Social’s Glow-in-the-Dark 5k Dance Party on Saturday, June 1st at Soldier Field!  This race allows you to run around the stadium, and then join all the other participants for an after-party on the field, where the Bears play!  The proceeds help Mercy Corps and d.light bring 500 solar lanterns to schoolchildren in Somalia, so they can read and study at night.  So run in lights for lights!

Finally, on Saturday, June 15th try running again in Grant Park for The Glo Run.  It’s the same deal, a 5k at night with great music and lights!  The proceeds benefit Back on My Feet, which uses running to help those experiencing homelessness change how they see themselves!

It doesn’t matter which one you choose because they all have one thing in common…glow swag, dancing, and after parties.  Celebrate your love of running with these new, innovative, charity-driven races!  If it can get me running, then I’m willing to bet these are going to be fun!  If you have any additional questions visit The Rave Run, Living Social, or The Glo Run for more details.

-Kendall Rozell

Tags: Back on My Feet, billy dec, charity, chicago, d.light, dance, dj, electronic dance, Glo Run, glow in the dark, glow sticks, grant park, house music, intern, lights, Living Social, Mercy Corp, Music, neon, rave, Rave Run, rockit ranch productions, running, Soldier Field, Somalia, techno

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

6th Annual Pinot Days Chicago Grand Festival

I don’t know about you, but I love me some vino! But, I don’t love how expensive it is to get over to that west coast. Let’s just imagine an ideal situation that involved, oh let’s say, about 65 wineries flying into Chicago and letting this Windy City taste what that entire coast has to offer! Ding, Ding, Ding… our wish has been granted!

This is a must attend event for my pinot fans out there, because on April 20^th, all you will have to do is find yourself a way down to Navy Pier and enjoy some exquisite wine at the 6^th Annual Pinot Days Chicago Grand Festival! After taking advantage of tasting up to 150 pinots and talking with the talented winemakers who created them, I think the $75 price tag will be well worth it! Not to mention every important domestic region, including The Russian River Valley, Oregon and The Sonoma Coast, will be represented. Some of these pinots weren’t even previously available to us here in Illinois. Hello, perfection!

If you have attended in the past, this event is taking place in the Lakeview Terrace, where the first Chicago Pinot Days was held. This warm, intimate, inviting room with amazing views of Lake Michigan, is the best choice due to the energy and ambiance it produces!  Therefore, due to creating this snuggly setting, the event will be a bit smaller than last year, capping off at 1,000 winos!

Still looking for more? Well, while these 65 wineries are in town there will be other wine events going on through out the weekend for you to enjoy. There will be winemaker dinners, seminars, pairings, and tastings at boutique retail stores!

Don’t worry my wine friends, you aren’t dreaming, this is actually happening right here in our city so get your friends, family and loved ones together and celebrate the world of wine! Cheers!

-Amanda Macchitelli

Tags: 6th Annual Pinot Days Chicago Grand Festival, chicago, Drink, lake michigan, Lakeview Terrace, navy pier, Oregon, pinot, pinots, Taste, The Sonoma Coast, vino, west coast, windy city, wine, winemakers, wineries

Never A City So Reel

It’s no secret that we Chicagoans can’t get enough of this wonderful city we call home. From the over abundance of restaurants, to the never-ending list of things to do, to the Midwestern charm we badge ourselves with, it’s hard to find a reason to not like Chicago. What makes this city even more special is the fact we have the unique experience to be exposed to people from all different walks of life-right in our very own backyard. How many other cities across the U.S. can truly compare?

This Thursday, Northwestern University is hosting a free night of classic short documentaries, Never a City So Reel: Chicago Portraits on Film, that highlight Chicago people and places. The entire program was inspired from the university’s One Book One Northwestern featured book, Alex Kotlowitz’s Never a City So Real. In this book, Kotlowitz showcases his favorite Chicago people and neighborhoods. The film program, in turn, will be showing short films from NU, Kartemquin Films and the Chicago Film Archives that give you a deeper sense into the heart and soul of the city. Topics range from racism, gentrification, an early gay pride parade, and more.

Mark your calendars for Thursday, February 21^st at 7:00 p.m. at the Block Museum of Art. Not only will you learn about Chicago’s rich culture, but you will also get the chance to listen to guest speakers and directors Tom Palazzolo and Peter Kuttner.

For more info click here!

-Megan Herbst 

Tags: alex kotlowitz, Block Museum of Art, chicago, Chicago documentaries, Chicago Film Archives, chicago people, early gay pride too, gentrification, kartemquin films, Never A City So Real, northwestern, northwestern university, NU, One Book One, One Book One Northwestern, Peter Kuttner, racism, Tom Palazzolo