Raising funds with fun

Tis the season for raising money for a good cause, and there were some heavy hitters in Chicago recently.

Kicking things off, Driehause Design Initiative presented Close-Up, an annual Driehaus Awards evening at the event space on 700 South Desplaines St. Every year it's a treat to see cutting edge designs from budding young student designers.

The rain outside didn't stop the runway from showing a variety of fashions that were created by diverse designers. Lindsay Holeso took home first place.

The auction was a highlight with massive prize packages. The night closed with singer Lynne Jordan belting out tunes and delicious food at a VIP after party.

Visit DriehausDesign.org for more information about the organization.

About Face Theatre held its Wonka Ball on May 11 at the Museum of Broadcast Communications. Blending in with the current exhbit, had the LGBT theater company and guests dressing for the occasion. Saturday Night Live was a perfect theme for people to stay in character and mingle with each other over the course of the evening.

Photos: 2018 Wonka Ball

The Leppen Leadership Awards were given out before a night of dancing and desserts.

Visit AboutFaceTheatre.com for the upcoming schedule of shows.

Another powerful theater company the Steppenwolf presented its gala the following evening. The venue was at 1340 N. Cherry Avenue and has not even been named yet. It was a change from previous year's galas under a tent next door to the Steppenwolf's theater.

A cocktail hour allowed guests to mingle then they moved into a first class dinner hosted by actor Rainn Wilson. Frasier's Kelsey Grammer gave a moving tribute to ensemble member John Mahoney who passed away in February this year.

The very funny Chris Rock joined Christie's out auctioneer Robbie Gordy for a breathtaking live paddle auction with Broadway and island experiences that jacked up the bids.

The night raised an incredible $1.3 million to the theater that only seems to grow better with age. Check out Steppenwolf.org for the upcoming season of top notch productions.

With more fundraisers on the way in the fall, this is a good sign of things to come in the world of entertainment and education.

Look for the Goodman Theatre Gala on Sat. May 19 at the Fairmont Chicago with Hamilton's Renee Elise Goldsberry singing her heart out and celebrating 40 years of having a women's board as part of the gala. To purchase a ticket head over to GoodmanTheatre.org.

Let's do our part and support them by seeing their hard work throughout this year!