Fall 2016 Beam Letter
Dear Friends,
The fall season is always a busy time at The Lighthouse and this autumn is proving to be no exception! We were delighted to welcome new Lions International President Robert Corlew and many other Lions Club members from throughout the Chicago area on September 19th. For the past several decades, the Lions have been true champions of The Lighthouse, generously supporting our initiatives in vision care, assistive technology, employment, education and other vital areas.
At a special dinner held in his honor, I presented a Lighthouse clock to President Corlew as a token of our appreciation. I also noted that to celebrate the Lions 100th anniversary next year, we are opening an exhibit in our new seniors’ wing, which will showcase milestones in the rich history of The Lighthouse/Lions partnership.
We wish all our Lion friends a very Happy Centennial Anniversary and look forward to welcoming them back next summer when they hold their international convention in Chicago the weekend of July 1-4, 2017.
Speaking of major milestones, I want to congratulate the Associate Board on their 30th anniversary this fall. This group of dedicated women deserves much praise for working so hard to raise money for our critical services, especially those benefiting children.
At our 2016 FLAIR Fashion Fun Philanthropy event on October 17th, we had the pleasure of honoring Kristina McGrath, one of Chicago’s top businesswomen with a flair for fashion that is matched by her unwavering commitment to help those less fortunate. For her outstanding record of humanitarianism and superb sense of fashion, we presented Kristina with our Third Annual Hood/Swift Women with FLAIR Award named after two female giants in Lighthouse history, Winona Hood, one of our founders, and Edith Swift, our first and longest serving executive director. Thank you also to our Seattle designers who traveled all of the way from Washington to attend our event, as well as all of the other stores and companies who supported us so generously.
With the holidays fast approaching, we look forward to participating in Giving Tuesday on November 29th. More details to come. We want to thank you in advance for keeping The Lighthouse and the people we serve in mind as you consider making your holiday gifts!
Janet P. Szlyk, Ph.D.
President and Chief Executive Officer
