Wednesday, October 11, 2017
In This Issue

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333 S. Wabash
16th Floor
Chicago IL, 60604
 
(312) 822-6699 

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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 Chicago Bears Help Create Memories  
for Military Families
Nearly 100 military and military family members attended USO Family Fun Day with the Chicago Bears at Washington Park's Bynum Island in Chicago on August 21. Military teens and tweens participated in the Chicago Park District's Team Obstacle Course, and our younger military youth learned football skills and the value of fitness through the Chicago Bears Mini Monsters clinic. Families also utilized games found in the USO Stateside Care Packages like volleyball, corn hole, ladder toss, kickball, parachute games, and more! Former Chicago Bear, Steve Edwards, mingled with the military families and taught the youth new football moves, while a balloon artist was on hand to create wonderful caricatures for the children. As the fun event came to a close, all participating families were invited to stay and watch the Solar Eclipse.
 
Thank you to our friends at the Chicago Bears for their continued support of our USO Military Youth Programs.
U-505 Naval History advances the knowledge of
Navy Chief Petty Officer Selectees 
In cooperation with the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago (MSI) and through the generous support of Tawani Foundation, the USO U-505 Naval History Program with Pritzker Military Museum and Library placed Navy Chief Petty Officer (CPO) selectees as volunteer museum docents in late August-early September in the museum's famed
U-505 Submarine exhibit as part of their CPO advancement training. This year, 42 CPO selectees traveled 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. 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 joined in the training to impart their knowledge and experience to the selectees, building connections between future Navy Chief Petty Officers and past generations.
 
We salute the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, Tawani Foundation and
the Pritzker Military Museum and Library for helping to make this extraordinary  
program possible.
USO Supports MACG-48 Family Day
Camels and goats and dogs, oh my! On Sunday, September 17, USO of Illinois partnered with Kohl Children's Museum to deliver the Imagination Playground at the MACG-48 Family Day. The event included camel rides, a petting zoo, joust competition, K9 demonstrations, and touch-a-truck displays. Imagination Playground added an educational and playful element to the already exciting event. Imagination Playground is an interactive system of large blue blocks for children of all ages to unleash their creative thinking. The kids were invited to use their imagination to create a world all of their own!   
 
USO Rock Island 
On August 23 rd and 24 th, USO Rock Island was visited by a special guest General Carter Ham, President & CEO for the Association of the United States Army, and LTG Patricia McQuisition. USO staff and volunteers were also in attendance for a presentation given by General Ham at the Figge Art Museum. The following day, the pair took a tour of Rock Island Arsenal, where they stopped at USO Rock Island for a brief center tour and took advantage of the opportunity to meet service members stationed on the arsenal.
USO Great Lakes
USO Great Lakes is now home to an official Chicago Blackhawks air hockey room! A donation of an air hockey table sparked the idea to create a room centered around one of the USO's most impactful partners, the Chicago Blackhawks. In early August, 12 USO Great Lakes sailors, staff and volunteers painted the room to match the Chicago Blackhawks logo and ice rink décor. Logo decals were affixed to the walls and Jay Blunk, USO Board Member and Executive Vice President of the Chicago Blackhawks, generously provided Blackhawks memorabilia including signed photos and a Chicago Blackhawks Jersey emblazoned with "Great Lakes" on the back.
 
The room is very popular among service members and families visiting the center, and is also a source of pride for the center staff and volunteers. Plans have been made to mount a small flat-screen TV in the room to stream Blackhawks games as well as recorded Blackhawks media. 
 
Thank you to our partners at the Chicago Blackhawks, Board Member, Jay Blunk, and the dedicated volunteers and sailors who made this room upgrade possible. 
USO BBQ for the Troops Raises $143,000  
for USO of Illinois
On July 15, one hundred, local, new car dealers fired up their grills and hosted individual community fundraising events for the USO of Illinois, and collectively raised $143,000. Participating dealers gathered at the USO of Illinois' Clark After Dark event to formally present the check.
 
"Even beyond the funds raised, which is unequivocally important, each year the dealers pour their hearts, souls and personal resources into making each individual community event unique and special," said CATA Chairman Ray Scarpelli Jr. "Past events have included everything from patriotic ceremonies with a 21-gun salute, classic car shows involving local car clubs, live bands, giant inflatable bounce houses for kids, face painting, balloon-making, dog washes and, of course, barbecue - all to draw the interest of the community and bring crowds out on a summer Saturday to support the USO of Illinois." 
 
Since the campaign's launch in 2013, Chicagoland's new-car dealers have raised more than $ 560,000 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.   
 
USO Clark After Dark
The USO of Illinois' 9th annual Clark After Dark block party on August 17th was indeed the last "Hoo-ah!" of the 2017 summer! The event raised $182,000 thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and attendees. This support will fund programs to support more than 318,000 military members and their families, each year, in Illinois. Thank you to our sponsors Boeing, Leopardo, Dover Corp, BBMC Mortgage, Gurtz Electric, Fat Baby Tacos, Verizon, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Cushman & Wakefield, Combined Insurance, Bub City, Miller as well as all of our other great supporters! 
 
Special guests included Val Warner and Ryan Chiaverini from Windy City Live 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 four of Chicago's favorite cover bands, the LowDown Brass Band, the Moxie Sisters, Liquidated Damages and Sixteen Candles.
The Chicago's River North district hotspots, Chicago Cut, Bub City, and Barrio generously catered the VIP tents.  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.  
Partnership Profile: IHeartMedia 
The USO of Illinois's mission is to not only provide programs and services to military in Illinois, but also to be a bridge between the civilian and military communities. iHeartMedia Chicago, one of the largest Chicago radio broadcasters with nearly 5 million weekly radio listeners, supports the Chicagoland community through yearly grants to nonprofits within the community. This summer, the USO of Illinois was proud to partner with IHeartMedia's Big95.5 to support service members and their families in the Chicagoland area through their community grant.
"We are committed to using our resources and on-air personalities to create awareness about the services available from these partners and other nonprofit organizations in our local community," said Matt Scarano, Market President for iHeartMedia Chicago.
 
From June to August, the USO of Illinois was the community grant recipient from IHeartMedia and Big95.5. The station promoted the USO's summer fundraising events such as USO BBQ for the Troops and Clark After Dark. The promotions exceeded $200,000 in in-kind media for the USO of Illinois.
Alison Ruble, President & CEO of USO of Illinois, was invited to speak on both Brooke Hunter's and Darryl Dennards Community Affairs show to raise awareness of the work that the USO of Illinois does in the community. 

Thank you to Big95.5 and IHeartMedia for being dedicated to the lives of our service members and their families! 
Combined Insurance Raises $19,500  
through Charity Golf Event
Combined Insurance, a leading provider of individual supplemental accident, disability, health, and life insurance products , and a Chubb company, hosted its annual charity golf outing on September 19 and raised $19,500 to benefit USO of Illinois.
 
Nearly 100 Combined Insurance employees, vendors and guests came together at Old Orchard Country Club in Mount Prospect to golf and give back. The event kicked off with the presentation of colors by Marine Recruiting Station Chicago and the singing of our national anthem by Alleece Baker, as well as remarks from Alison Ruble, President and CEO of USO of Illinois.
 
"Combined Insurance colleagues enjoyed a beautiful day of golf and goodwill to support USO of Illinois and all the terrific work they do for our Active Duty, Guard and Reserve military and their families," said Bob Wiedower, Vice President of Sales Development and Military Programs for Combined Insurance. "I am so proud that we were able to raise so much money in one day."
 
Wiedower is a decorated veteran, having served 22 years in the United States Marine Corps, where he retired as a Squadron Commanding Officer. He also sits on the Board of Directors for USO of Illinois.
 
"We are incredibly grateful for the support of Combined Insurance and Bob Wiedower's time, energy and passion as a board member," Ruble said. "We salute our partners at Combined Insurance for helping us make a difference in the lives of service members and their families."
 
Thank you to Combined Insurance and Bob Weidower for their generosity.