Award Dinners

For more information on these on-of-a-kind event, please contact Amelia Drozda (312.751.3850).

Humanitarian Award Dinner Honoring Teachers, Principals, and School Staff

The Big Shoulders Fund Humanitarian Award Dinner took place virtually on Friday, May 21, 2021, from 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm. Originally, we had scheduled this biennial event in 2020 with plans to honor Beth and Bruce White for all they have done for our mission but delayed it given the start of the pandemic. The Whites have graciously asked us to bestow the Humanitarian Award on the hundreds of teachers, principals, and school staff members who have worked tirelessly in 2020 to ensure our students receive the education they deserve.

Thank you to following members of the Steering Committee: Ellen and Jim O’Connor, Rita and John Canning, Monsignor Ken Velo, Liz and Kent Dauten, Sue and Tim Sullivan. We would also like to extend our thanks to the following members of the Arrangements Committee: Elizabeth Cole, Jennifer Beeson, Tuey Connell, Liz Dauten, Clarisol  Duque, Jacky Ferro, Danielle Hoeg, Leigh-Anne Kazma, Kristina Kelleher, Christy  King, Ellen O’Connor, Sue Sullivan, and Robin Tebbe.

Humanitarian Award Dinner Honoring Kimberly Querrey and Lou Simpson

Big Shoulders Fund supporters do it again! A record-breaking $14.1 million was raised at the 2018 Humanitarian Award Dinner. On May 24, 2018, nearly 1,000 guests gathered at the Hilton Chicago for a one-of-a-kind trip to Big Shoulders Fund schools located throughout Chicago’s neighborhoods created by Elizabeth O’Connor Cole and Tuey Connell of Carmel Creative. Big Shoulders Fund’s very own conductor and Broadway star Jenn Gambatese, and the Big

Shoulders Fund Choir took guests #AllAboard the Big Shoulders train. Students played a big role in entertaining the crowd through song and dance.

The night celebrated the outstanding commitment of Kimberly Querrey and Lou Simpson to Big Shoulders Fund and its scholars. Kimberly Querrey and Lou Simpson have provided transformative gifts and strategic guidance to help Big Shoulders Fund build its capacity and strengthen its operations. They provide critical support to the Querrey Simpson and SQ Scholarship Programs, both of which help Big Shoulders Fund students bridge the gap.

The Circle of Impact video debuted and further illustrated the ripple effect of Big Shoulders Fund schools in the life of a student, a school, a community, and the city of Chicago.

Attendees were inspired by Lee Henderson, Marisela Rosales Lawson, Beth White, and Elizabeth Connor Cole to get “on board” and lead, mentor, join, and follow Big Shoulders Fund.

It was an unbelievable night that will have a lasting impact on the 76 inner-city schools and nearly 20,000 students Big Shoulders Fund supports. Thank you to the Event Chairs, Steering Committee, and Arrangements Committee for all of their leadership in making the event so successful. Special appreciation goes to Richard H. Driehaus for his significant contribution to help underwrite the evening’s program.

Press Coverage:

Chicago Tribune

Shia Kapos

Humanitarian Award Dinner Honoring Josh Hale

Big Shoulders Fund honors President and CEO Joshua Hale raising a record-breaking $12.5M para los niños. On May 26, 2016, nearly 1,100 guests gathered at the Hilton Chicago for a night unlike any other, complete with a custom hip-hop musical about the life of Josh Hale and the mission of the Big Shoulders Fund written and performed by the award-winning Q Brothers, as well as a special performance by Broadway’s Jenn Gambatese.

The event celebrated Josh Hale’s work over the past decade to ensure Big Shoulders Fun schools remain rooted in communities and accessible to Chicago’s families. Not only was it a night to remember for all who attended, but one that will truly impact the 77 schools and the 20,000 children Big Shoulders Fund supports The night was capped off by the announcement of a one million dollar matching gift from John and Rita Canning to launch the James J. O’Connor Scholarship Fund. Inspired by the gesture, many others joined in to build  the fund, most notably: Bruce and Beth White with a $1M gift, David Herro and Jay Franke with a $500,000 gift, and Jim and Danielle Hoeg with a $100,00 gift. Thank you to the Event Chairs, Steering Committee, and Arrangements Committee for all of their leadership in making the event so successful. Special appreciation goes to the Richard H. Driehaus for his significant contribution to help underwrite the evening’s program.

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Humanitarian Award Dinner Honoring Monsignor Ken Velo

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25^th Anniversary Celebration

Big Shoulders celebrated its 25^th anniversary on Thursday, May 24, 2012, with a special silver anniversary dinner at the Chicago Hilton. The event drew more than 950 distinguished guests and raised $6.25 million, making it one of the most successful fundraising events in Chicago history.

In addition to the money raised, 500 new iPads were donated for use in Big Shoulders Fund schools. Chicago-based TeamWorks Media created Invest in a Child, a documentary-style short that showed the day-to-day world of students and impact Big Shoulders has on their lives, and attendees were the first to view the film at the event.

The 25th Anniversary Celebration paid special tribute to champions and Founders including James W. Compton, Sr. Mary Brian Costello, R.S.M., Lester Crown, Ronald J. Gidwitz, William A. McIntosh, Founding Vice Chairman Andrew J. McKenna, Sr., Founding Chairman James J. O’Connor, Edmund A. Stephan (deceased), Barry F. Sullivan and Arthur R. Velasquez. As part of the event’s special recognition of the Founders, students from each of the Big Shoulders Fund schools served as an Honor Guard and former Chicago Bulls’ announcer Ray Clay gave each Founder a traditional Chicago Bulls introduction.

The event was chaired by Rita and John Canning. Host committee co-chairs were Greg Brown (Motorola Solutions, Inc.), Greg Case (Aon Foundation), Elizabeth and Michael Cole, Jacky and Michael Ferro (Sun-Times Foundation), Mark Furlong (BMO Harris Bank), David Herro and Jay Franke, Joanie and Andy McKenna, Ellen and Jim O’Connor, Mary and John Raitt, Kimberly Querrey and Lou Simpson, Glenn Tilton (JP Morgan Chase), Wendell Weeks (Corning Incorporated), and Beth and Bruce White. Benefit committee co-chairs were Elizabeth Cole, Renee Crown, Jacky Ferro, Ellen O’Connor, Dia Weil and Beth White, PNC, a longtime supporter of Big Shoulders Fund, was the title sponsor of the event, and wine was donated by Terlato Wines. The arrangements committee was Elizabeth Cole, Renée Crown, Jacky Ferro, Ellen O’Connor, Dia Weil, and Beth White.

Humanitarian Award Dinner Honoring Rita and John Canning

More than 600 of Chicago’s business and civic leaders turned out to honor Rita and John Canning at the Big Shoulders Fund 2008 Humanitarian Awards Dinner, Thursday, April 10 at the Chicago Hilton.

The event raised more than $1.6M, the proceeds of which will benefit the more than 25,000 children attending the inner-city Catholic schools we support. Recognizing the numerous contributions the Cannings have made to improve access to quality values-based education in Chicago, Big Shoulders Fund co-chairman, James J. O’Connor presented the couple with the Joseph Cardinal Bernardin Humanitarian Award.

The Cannings are currently the Patrons for Holy Angels School and they provide scholarships to more than 100 students in 15 Big Shoulders Fund schools. The event featured special guest speaker, Commissioner of Major League Baseball, Bud Selig. Monsignor Kenneth Velo, president of Big Shoulders Fund, emceed the event lending his sense of humor to keep guests entertained, and premiering a video on the history and work of Big Shoulders Fund.  The estimable dinner committee created a wonderful evening to celebrate the tremendous generosity of Rita and John Canning.