Youth Guidance Announces 2015 Gala Celebration to Benefit Chicago Youth

CHICAGO, IL – On Saturday, May 9th many of the most generous hearts in Chicago will come together to celebrate 90 years of supporting city youth.  The Annual Youth Guidance Gala Event will be held at the Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park Hotel and co-chaired by Diane and Paul C. Reilly.   With a goal of $350,000, the 2015 gala will be emceed by NBC 5 broadcast personality Zoraida Sambolin.

The funds raised will support the organization’s mission of providing counseling, mentoring and after-school support to youth from at-risk communities across Chicago.   Youth Guidance prides itself on meeting youth where they are – both within schools and socially and emotionally – so that they might overcome obstacles and focus on their education.

Youth Guidance’s Becoming a Man (B.A.M.) and Working on Womanhood (W.O.W.) programs serve young men and women in grades 7-12 in some of the city’s most violent and disadvantaged neighborhoods.  The B.A.M. program in particular has received national recognition from President Obama as an effective intervention for young men of color who are at-risk for being involved in violent crime or dropping out of high school.

“This year’s gala theme ‘Celebrating Bright Futures’ represents a major milestone for Youth Guidance,” notes Chief Executive Officer Michelle Adler Morrison.   “We are deeply grateful to our supporters whose generosity allowed us to directly serve more than 8,000 youth last year.  Our programs reach at-risk youth early and provide positive solutions to the challenges they face so that, ultimately, they can succeed in school and in life. ”

Each year, Youth Guidance selects special gala honorees.  Bank of America (BofA) will be this year’s Organization of the Year Award recipient.  BofA has been a Youth Guidance supporter since 2010, demonstrating a strong commitment to preparing middle and high school students for graduation, post-secondary completion and the workforce.    Youth Guidance will also present its Kurt L. Schultz Individual Service Award to Richard Logan of the Reva & David Logan Foundation in recognition of his numerous contributions to the agency and his tireless championing of Chicago youth.

The gala event will feature a cocktail reception, silent auction, seated dinner and program, and entertainment from renowned DJ Steve “Silk” Hurley.  To learn more about Youth Guidance or to purchase tickets to the Annual Gala, please visit https://www.youth-guidance.org/donate/2015-gala-registration.

About Youth Guidance:

Founded in 1924, Youth Guidance is a leader in outcomes-driven, school-based programs and capacity-building initiatives.  The agency directly served more than 8,000 students in FY14, while touching the lives of 14,000 underserved youth in 78 Chicago schools through a portfolio of comprehensive programs.  Youth Guidance’s specific and strategically developed delivery areas are Community & After-School, Counseling & Prevention, and Youth Workforce Development. Ninety percent of students served are low income. More than 95% are African American and Hispanic/Latino. For more information, call 312-253-4900 or visit http://www.youth-guidance.org.