Teams race to Feed the Future of Chicago. ©2017 Mike Fan Photography and/or www.mike-fan.com

By Maurice Jadah, Chicago Associates Board

The inaugural Chicago Associates Board (CAB) of Blessings in a Backpack hosted The Race to Feed Chicago, our largest event to date, on May 4, 2017. This was not your typical fundraiser by any stretch. Guests were placed on teams of eight to ten people and competed to determine which team could pack 85 bags of food the fastest. Competitive juices flowed as Brotha Fred of KISS FM Chicago provided the play-by-play and a winner was crowned at the end of the single race elimination playoff.

More than 100 guests attended and 1,800 bags were packed providing weekend nutrition to children attending eleven schools in the greater Chicago area. More than $7,000 was raised providing more than 2,700 hunger-free weekends to children facing food insecurity. The Race to Feed Chicago was a success!

Thank you to Domaine for allowing us to host our event at their facility. The space couldn’t have worked out better. An ideal small area upon entry allowing us to check-in guests. An open loft area overlooking the entrance that included a kitchen for Blackwood BBQ, our caterer, to set up and serve their delicious BBQ. Last, a separate wide open space permitting our bartenders to pour and our teams to pack bags for local children in the greater Chicago area.

1,800 bags were packed for children in Chicago. ©2017 Mike Fan Photography and/or www.mike-fan.com

A big “Thank you” to our sponsors—Dr. Jason Ingham of Advanced Spine & Sports Care in Lakeview and Carrie Leigh of Get It Made Chicago, a custom apparel boutique in West Town.

We are also grateful for donations from Insomnia Cookies, Half Acre Brewery, The Leigh Gallery, Constellation Brands, Knob Creek, and Automatic Icemakers. We could not have put on such a fantastic event without your generosity and support.