CHAPPELL CONFIDENTIAL

Campaigning for Votes

Wed. August 18, 2010 12:00 AM
by Terrence Chappell

I've been on a highly strategized national campaign that would even make David Ploffe raise an eyebrow. Okay, well perhaps that was a bit of an exaggeration, but I have been campaigning for votes for One Man Chicago! I sat on top of the world to watch airplanes kiss the sky. Well, not really on top of the world, but I did do brunch at my friend's place in the John Hancock for the annual air and water show. I even duked it out with the C.I.A. at the bomb shelter. Well if by C.I.A, you mean the Chicago Industry Alliance over at the Underground, I did help celebrate my friend Benjamin Newby making partner over at the Underground. Okay, it's safe to say that my perceptions of my outings are a bit off, haha. Well either way, these past few weeks have had me feeling on top of the world with some of my most favorite people and their events.

The One Man Chicago happy hour meet and greets have been overwhelmingly fun. I've met some awesome, talented people, made new friends, and have been able to share with people more information about the Service Club of Chicago, the charity I'm representing for One Man Chicago. The Service Club is a great organization and has been raising funds for other non-profits and charities since 1890; and even some of the other charities in the competition have benefited from the Service Club's efforts. For more information about the Service Club of Chicago, please visit the website at www.serviceclubofchicago.org. These past couple of meet and greets at J Bar and Rockit in Wrigleyville have drawn an energetic and open crowd of professionals, tastemakers, and just the plain fun. I must thank Peggy Martay and Lynn McMahan of the Service Club for their help and outreach initiatives on behalf of my running in One Man Chicago. I also must thank my sister and my parents for coming out to the first one to support me. Jeepers, I was super nervous, but with them there, all went well. For more information or to vote for me…wink wink, please visit www.onemanchicago.com. For updates on my running in the One Man Chicago contest, please visit the facebook page, www.facebook.com/terrenceforonemanchicago.

A huge congratulation to my friend Benjamin Newby for making partner at the Underground, a great accomplishment and quite honestly not very surprising; the first time I met Benjamin I was fresh out of college and interning at Michigan Ave. magazine. He spotted my friend and me on the dance floor, recognized me from a past Michigan Ave. magazine event and immediately greeted us and made us feel right at home, even took us in the back for drinks. So, a big thank you for always rolling out the red carpet and giving my friends and I the V.I.P treatment and congrats again on making partner, you deserve it man!

This year's Lollapalooza music lounge at the Hard Rock was saturated with surprises, the luxe treatment, and of course rocking music. I attended Perez Hilton's One Night In Chicago. Of course, emceed by Perez Hilton, the social blogger's favorite musical acts took to the stage, which included Kid Sister and B.o.B. Presented by DROID X Motorola, UV Vodka, Express and Vitamin Water, the night drew a large crowd of Lollapalooza revilers, celebrities, and media. The rest of the weekend for the music lounge was an invite-only bash thrown by BMF Media of live DJ sets, gift bag giveaways loaded with to-die-for goodies, and just an overall chill ambience in celebration of Lollapalooza.

My grade school friend Robert Ford Reynolds invited me to a chicken and waffle brunch at his place in the John Hancock. Robert owns a very successful image consulting business. He lives on the 91st floor, so the view for the air and water show was breathtaking. I think I saw my apartment from where he lives! This was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon with an old friend and new ones. Ya know, I appreciate the simplicity of his brunch. Scratch all the traditional foo foo brunch food like strawberries, bite-sized sandwiches, and cucumber and salmon concoctions. He had Harold's Chicken delivered for the soiree, which I must say has the best chicken in town. Now, you know my post would not be complete without a big girl rant about food. Needless to say, my friends and I got there at two in the afternoon and didn't leave until nine at night!

Have fun and spread smiles everywhere you go; that's all I have, haha.

MORE CONTENT AFTER THESE SPONSORS