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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 more than 318,000 service members and their families at 5 USO Centers and through hundreds of programs and services.
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USO BBQ for the Troops kicks off in July
for the 5th Consecutive Year
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 For the past four years, the Chicago Automobile Trade Association (CATA) and over 100 local new-car dealers in the Chicagoland area have kicked-off the summer BBQ season with the USO of Illinois through USO BBQ for the Troops, an initiative dedicated to raising money to support essential USO programming. Since 2013, the CATA and more than 100 member dealers have raised more than $420,000 for USO of Illinois programs supporting area troops and their families.
On July 15th, participating Chicagoland dealerships will start their engines and heat up their grills for the USO of Illinois. Some of last year's BBQ for the Troops highlights include:
- Car Washes for donations
- Lunch specials for employees and their families and friends, leaving the brown bag at home and eating in to support the troops
- Cornhole Bag Games and interactive sports
- Demand DJ, with donations made for song requests
- Obstacle courses and more!
 Looking to get your tires rotated or oil change? Stop into one of the participating BBQ for the Troops dealerships and drop your change at their service center all July long! Don't forget to visit the Drive Chicago Facebook page at www.facebook.com/drivechicago and enter the Ultimate Backyard BBQ Sweepstakes. To enter all you have to do is upload a photo of your BBQ with the hashtag #BBQ4Troops. One lucky winner will receive a BBQ for them and 50 friends catered by Real Urban BBQ and a visit from a Chicago Blackhawks Ambassador!
For a list of dealerships participating in BBQ for the Troops this summer, visit
www.drivechicago.com
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The USO of Illinois salutes the CATA and all the dealerships who are participating in the BBQ for the Troops program this year.
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Rock the Block at Clark After Dark on August 17th
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 Join the USO of Illinois in support of the local military community at Clark After Dark, Chicago's only downtown block party!
The event will feature live music by 16 Candles (Voted Chicago's Best Cover Band!) Liquidated Damages, the Low Down Brass Band and the Moxie Sisters, military vehicle displays, food and drink specials, raffle and much more!
Discounted early bird VIP tickets available! This VIP Experience gives you access to all VIP areas, great food from restaurants like Chicago Cut Steakhouse, Bub City and Barrio, and special drink options. Prices will go up at the door, so get these VIP Presale Tickets while they last!
This event is free to active duty, guard and reserve military with a valid military ID. Grab your tickets today at www.usoofillinois.org/clark-after-dark.
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Jewel-Osco Raises Money in Local Stores to Support USO of Illinois
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In the month of May, our partners at Jewel-Osco helped us to celebrate Military Appreciation Month by collecting donations at the register of all 185 stores throughout the Chicagoland, Indiana and Iowa areas.
Customers at Jewel-Osco stores could add a $1, $3 or $5 contribution to their grocery order to benefit USO of Illinois programs and services. Customers could also drop their change in canisters located in the front of the stores.
Thank you to our friends at Jewel-Osco for this continued support of the USO of Illinois and our military and military families for the past four years
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Harris Theatre Invites Military Families for a day of Dance
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 Part of the USO of Illinois mission is to not only support service members, but also their families, through a variety of programs that cover a unique set of needs. On Saturday, May 13
th, the Harris Theatre for Music and Dance hosted a "USO Discovery Kids" hip-hop workshop with the Rennie Harris Puremovement performers. Twenty-nine military family members were hosted at the event and enjoyed a pizza party, family friendly activities and tickets to see the Puremovement matinee show.
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Spindle Fitness Creates Care Packages for Deployed Military
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 From May 15th to June 10th, Spindle Fitness in Lincoln Park collected care package items and monetary donations to benefit the USO of Illinois. On June 10th, Spindle Fitness hosted a boot camp style workout and then packed 64 care packages with the supplies they collected from members! In addition to the 64 care packages, they also raised $1,180 to benefit USO of Illinois programs and services. Thank you Spindle Fitness!
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Girl Scouts Collect Supplies for USO Rock Island
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At the Girl Scout Camp in Geneseo, IL, girls learn to support the community through a variety of classes and activities to earn their "Helping the Community" badge. The USO of Illinois visited the camp on June 30
th with a representative from the Rock Island Arsenal, SFC Negron. SFC Negron from Army Sustainment Command spoke with the girls about the USO of Illinois and how the organization helps military such as himself. The campers collected 75 packs of soda, numerous cans of coffee, and paper products such as napkins and plates to be donated to USO Rock Island. The Girl Scouts gave a monetary donation of more than $500 for USO Rock Island.
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Marcus Gurnee Cinema provides free movie tickets to USO Great Lakes
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For the second year, Marcus Gurnee Cinema and 4DX Theatres have teamed up to provide military stationed at Naval Station Great Lakes with free tickets to this summer's block buster hits! Each week 4DX Theatres provides 20 free tickets to USO Great Lakes to be claimed by local military and their families.
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Warrior Games arrives in Chicago
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 For the first time in 7 years, the DOD Warrior Games was hosted off a military installation and brought to the City of Chicago. Warriors began to arrive on June 28
th at O'Hare International Airport. Once they landed, USO of Illinois volunteers were there to greet them and offer travel assistance, care and comfort at USO pop-up centers located throughout the terminals. Volunteers from USO of Illinois partner Deloitte were at the airport handing out gift bags for the incoming warriors and their families.
The warriors then made their way downtown to the Under Armour store where USO of Illinois volunteers helped them gear up for the games ahead. From June 30th to July 8th, USO of Illinois volunteers and partners from SemperFi Fund, Deloitte, BBMC Mortgage, and PepsiCo cheered on the athletes and provided snacks, beverages and assistance at various events. A select group of athletes were also invited to view a Chicago Cubs game from a roof-top suite provided by BBMC Mortgage.
The USO of Illinois would like to extend a congratulations and thank you to all the Wounded Warrior Athletes and their families who participated in the 2017 DOD Warrior Games! We would also like to thank all of the USO of Illinois volunteers who helped to support the games.
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