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For more information,
to donate or volunteer visit our website:
333 S. Wabash
16th Floor
Chicago IL, 60604
(312) 822-6699
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The USO of Illinois
annually
serves over 330,000 service members and their families at 5 USO Centers and through hundreds of programs and services.
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As September closes, the USO of Illinois would like to share with you a quick recap on some of the amazing partnerships, programs and events from this summer. Thank you to all of our amazing partners for helping us deliver such a breadth of programming!
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USO Camp R & R keeps military families connected after deployments
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Reconnecting with loved ones can sometimes be difficult for servicemen and women returning home from deployment. But USO's Camp R&R program is here to help with this transition. Over the past 10 years, 182 families have attended USO Camp R&R, located in the middle of the pristine Wisconsin wilderness.
Through a special selection process working directly with area military commands, USO of Illinois invites Active Duty, Guard and Reserve military families with a loved one recently returned from deployment to attend USO Camp R&R for a week-long vacation in the north woods of Wisconsin. The families bond and rebuild relationships while connecting with other military families and sharing their experiences. USO Camp R&R allows them to rest and relax, to retreat for a while and focus on what is truly important - family. Some military members are redeployed soon after returning home from camp, which makes this time with their families even more important.
"This week at camp R&R has been the most important part of my return. Seeing my kids have a great time, being at the lodge, and spending time with my family has enhanced our quality of life, significantly. This is time we made up for time we had lost," said a service member who participated in Camp R&R this year and wished to remain unnamed.
Thank you to Albert Goodman for the use of his amazing accommodations and hospitality in the north woods of Wisconsin.
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Military Honored at Independence Day Ceremony
with the Chicago Cubs
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 In honor of Independence Day, the USO of Illinois and the Chicago Cubs recognized one hundred military service members who, alongside 50 Cubs Season Ticket Holders, participated in an American Flag unfurling during the National Anthem at a game. Also on July 4th, eight specially selected, active duty, service members from the 814th MP Company out of Arlington Heights who recently returned from a deployment to Guantanamo "took the field" and stood at player positions during the Cubs pre-game ceremony. As each Cubs player was introduced, he ran to the service member, greeted them and signed an autograph.
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U-505 Naval History Program trains CPOs on Naval History
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 In cooperation with the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago (MSI) and through the generous support of the Tawani Foundation, the USO U-505 Naval History Program with the Pritzker Military Museum & Library placed Navy Chief Petty Officer (CPO) selectees as volunteer museum docents at the museum's famed U-505 Submarine exhibit as part of their CPO advancement training. The group of selectees conducted their research and training on August 16th and 17th, and the Docent Days were held on August 30th - September 3rd.
Through the USO U-505 Program, CPO selectees travel to MSI and Pritzker Military Library for a day of training on the history and artifacts related to the U-505, the only German U-boat captured during World War II, and research on Naval leadership. Now located in a 35,000-square-foot exhibit at MSI, the vessel is extremely relevant to the U.S. Navy experience and serves as a national war memorial for those who lost their lives in the two battles of the Atlantic during World War I and II. U.S. submariner veterans also join in the training to share their knowledge and experience to the selectees, building connections between future Navy Chief Petty Officers and past generations.
Participating Navy Chief Petty Officers serve as not only technical experts, but as exemplary leaders who possess high personal and professional standards. CPO selectees then volunteer in the U-505 Submarine exhibit for several days in early September to answer questions and engage museum guests with various submarine-related artifacts. Museum guests will not only have an opportunity to learn about the U.S. Navy's heroic effort during World War II from a future Navy Chief Petty Officer and how those actions changed history, but also gain a greater awareness and appreciation of the men and women serving in uniform.
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USO O'Hare - Celebrates a Special Birthday
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 Nate Kos, a 9-year-old boy and USO of Illinois supporter, along with his mother and his Father, a Chicago Police Officer, celebrated his birthday in a unique way this year. Kos, whose birthday was in July, visited USO O'Hare Terminal 2 to drop off a check for $640! Nate told his friends and family that all birthday money he received would be donated to the USO. After he presented the check to USO O'Hare staff and volunteers, he was given a tour of both USO centers at O'Hare and had his picture taken with USO volunteers.
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USO Rock Island - Serves the Community in the Quad Cities
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 USO Rock Island will celebrate 5 years of service to military and their families in the Quad Cities area this September. This summer alone, USO Rock Island has served hundreds of active duty military through a variety of programs and services. On July 7, 2016, the USO of Illinois supported an Iowa Army National Guard unit from Mount Joy during a sendoff ceremony for 20 soldiers being deployed to Afghanistan. USO Rock Island was there to, not only, serve refreshments to the military families and support them during deployment, but they also did 11 United Through Reading recordings of the service members for their children to watch during their deployment. The USO partnership with United Through Reading® provides our deployed troops the ability to read their kids a bedtime book and virtually be there, even when they can't be there in-person.
Service men and women simply read a book aloud while being recorded on DVD for their child. The DVD and book are mailed to the child and family back home. All recording equipment, books, packing and shipping materials are supplied by the USO.
 Also in July, local AT&T locations sponsored a donation drive to collect items needed by military, both in Rock Island and abroad. Thank you to AT&T, Michael Kelly and Anthony Smith for supporting USO Rock Island with this generous donation and for helping us to gather items needed for care packages shipped to our deployed military
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USO Great Lakes - No Dough Sponsored by BMO Harris Bank
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Dough can run a little low for military families right before payday. But for service members stationed at Naval Station Great Lakes, there's a way to grab a tasty, healthy meal when cash is tight.
Since 1999, USO Great Lakes has been serving No Dough Dinners to provide troops and their families with free, hearty meals right before their next paycheck shows up. What began as a monthly free dinner has grown into a bi-weekly, and sometimes weekly, program. USO Great Lakes Center Director Chris Miller says it's one of the center's most attended events.
On September 1st, BMO Harris Bank hosted a No-Dough dinner serving over 350 service members and their families. After touring the center, BMO Harris leadership decided to fund some desperately needed updates to the entertainment options at the Center, including
4 new TVs, 2 iPads, a PlayStation 4, an Xbox 1, new USB Charging stations and games for both adults and kids! ! Thank you BMO Harris Bank for ensuring that USO Great Lakes remains a place of respite and a Home Away From Home for our sailors!
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Local Dealerships raise funds through USO BBQ for the Troops
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On July 16, eighty, local, new car dealers fired up their grills and hosted individual community fundraising events for the USO of Illinois, breaking the record set in 2015 and collectively raising $160,000. Participating dealers gathered at the USO of Illinois' Clark After Dark event to formally present the check.
"This i
s the fourth year that the CATA has partnered with the USO of Illinois on the Barbecue for the Troops effort, and we're thrilled that this program continues to gain momentum," said CATA Chairman John Hennessy. "It doesn't come as a surprise. Dealers are deeply rooted within their commun
ities and this cause truly resonates with everyone. Rallying their communities in support of the USO of Illinois is one way dealers can show gratitude for all that U.S. troops do to keep us safe each and every day."
Since the campaign's launch in 2013, Chicagoland's new-car dealers have raised more than $420,000 for the USO of Illinois, quite a feat for an initiative that started as a grassroots program. This past July, Chicagoans who visited their local new-car dealers' Barbecue for the Troops events found everything from patriotic ceremonies - including 21 gun salutes and the national anthem sung by American Idol stars - to giant inflatables for kids and classic car shows, all to help raise awareness and entice communities to donate money for local troops.
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USO Supporters Rock the Block at Clark After Dark
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The USO of Illinois' 8th annual Clark After Dark block party on August 21st was indeed the last "Hoo-ah!" of the 2016 summer! The event raised $163,000 thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and attendees. This support will fund programs for 330,000 military members and their families, each year, in Illinois. Thank you to our sponsors BMO Harris Bank, Leopardo Construction, Dover, First Trust Portfolios, BBMC, Bridgeview Bank Group, Cushman and Wakefield, Rex Electric, Miller, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Bub City and thank you to all of our other great sponsors and partners!
Special guests included the United States Army Golden Knights Parachute team and the 2nd Battalion 24th Marines who attended and brought a custom, Marine Corps Humvee and a U.S. Marine Corps HMMWV. The Marines provided patrons a special glimpse inside and aboard a military vehicle allowing people to go into the emptied-out gunner section of the vehicle. Guests rocked out to two of Chicago's favorite cover bands, Liquidated Damages and Sixteen Candles.
The VIP tents were generously catered by the Chicago's River North district hotspots, Chicago Cut and Bub City. Once again this year, Clark After Dark was sponsored in part by Boss Bar, a staple in the neighborhood since the 1980's, who provided a deluxe, indoor VIP experience to show their support for local military and the mission of the USO of Illinois.
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Charles "Peanut" Tillman opens Chicago Air and Water show on behalf of the USO
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The 58th Annual Chicago Air and Water Show, presented by Shell and the City of Chicago was opened at North Avenue Beach on August 20th by USO national anthem singer, Alleecee Baker. Retired Chicago Bears cornerback Charles "Peanut" Tillman did his first tandem jump on August 21st with the U.S. Army Golden Knights to commemorate the USO's 75th Anniversary - 75 years of caring for the needs of America's service members and families. He touched down in front of the Boat House at North Avenue Beach at 10 a.m.
On and off the field, Charles Tillman has demonstrated his commitment to service not only as the 2013 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year but also as the 2015 USO Angel Harvey Heart of a Patriot Award recipient and the NFL Salute to Service Award winner. Charles Tillman has volunteered with the USO through numerous programs including the USO of Illinois' Pro Tour which took Tillman to San Diego in 2014 and to Germany in 2015. Tillman, a self-described Army brat, spent the majority of his youth traveling the world with his father Donald Tillman, Jr., a Sergeant in the United States Army.
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