A Red Carpet Treatment Guest Essay

Gue st E s s a y
by Jeanne Varwig
Red Carpet Treatment
A
p p r oa c h i n g t h e p o d i u m l a s t O c t o b e r , I was pretty nervous. Public speaking is the number one fear of
most people … and in that moment I could relate. Will I trip on my long dress? Lose my place? My heart was beating
so hard that I thought everyone could probably hear it. Once I stood at the microphone, though, and looked out at the
audience, my racing heart started to settle down.
I saw so many familiar faces and smiles of encouragement. It became clear that we were all there for the same reason: to support our local hospital’s strong impact on the health of the community. I took a deep breath, looked over at my husband and the
many tables full of family and friends and began my welcome, ‘On behalf of our entire committee, I am delighted to say ‘Welcome
to the Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital Gala. Thank you for joining us this evening to improve the lives of so many people in
our community.’
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Advocate Good Shepherd
Hospital’s 2011 Gala
Committee members.
In front, from left:
Jeanne Varwig (Chairwoman),
Carol Lenz, Kathy Bay-Lichte,
and Kathy Liska. In back,
from left: Gene Dawson,
Ed Tolle, Joe Kelsch, Fran
Houlihan and Marc Barbeau.
Not pictured: Maggie Gorman,
Bill Moston, Judy Tolle,
and Bettye Traylor.
Several years ago, after our son was born, I opted not to return to the fastpaced banking world. I needed to find something productive to be passionate
about to fill my “me” time. As I considered various volunteer opportunities, the
Good Shepherd Gala Committee caught my attention. The Gala Committee is
comprised of dynamic, intelligent and energetic people who share that common goal of helping to make a difference in our community, not just to plan
The world around us
may have changed.
a party. After attending a few meetings, I was hooked – first as a committee
member, and more recently, as chairwoman of the event.
Planning for the Gala 2011 is firmly underway, and it’s clear that this year’s
event, the “Red Carpet Ball,” will be truly special because of the unique combination of its poignant beneficiary, as well as a program intended to make our
guests be the stars. Let me explain a bit more.
Each year, Good Shepherd executive leadership collaborates with the Gala
Committee to identify a project to be funded by the Gala proceeds. I was
thrilled to learn that proceeds from this year’s event will specifically benefit the
youth of Good Shepherd’s community through programs for Healthy Teens.
These programs include:
• EKG screens for teens, to detect heart trouble, aiding in the prevention
of sudden, unexpected cardiac arrest. Sudden cardiac arrest is a silent
killer for teens. In 2010, Good Shepherd sponsored screenings for more
than 1,200 Barrington High School students. Results produced some
irregular findings which were further examined for the students.
• Operation Click, a program developed in the late 1990s, works to
increase seatbelt usage among teen drivers and passengers, who are
reported to have the lowest rate of seatbelt use.
• In recent studies, Illinois ranked fourth in the nation for childhood
obesity with one in three children found to be overweight or obese. The
program, C.A.T.C.H. (Cooperative Approach to Childhood Health),
helps to raise awareness about nutrition, healthy lifestyle choices and
the importance of physical activity.
• Collaborative community support for teens struggling with mental
health issues.
As a mother to a young son and stepmom to two Barrington High School
teens, I know that being a teen is not always easy. I feel so fortunate to have a
hospital that is truly committed to improving the health and safety of our children by sponsoring these programs that have a positive impact on the young
people they reach.
On Saturday, October 1, 2011 the Good Shepherd Hospital Gala Committee will roll out the red carpet for everyone who values and supports our local
hospital and the Healthy Teens initiatives, and wants to participate in the party
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that offers the star treatment. This black tie optional event will feature entertainment unlike any gala before, and the successful Fine Wine Silent Auction will
continue as a key fundraising activity.
The gala is now in its fourteenth year. Over the past five years, the event
has generated more than $1.3 million for our hospital. I’m sure that I’ll be a bit
nervous as I step to the podium again this year, and hope to see you smiling in
the audience as a returning guest, or a newcomer.
Mark your calendars for Gala 2011 in October. We hope to see you on the
red carpet. It’s your turn to be the star.
To purchase tickets or a table for you and your friends, please visit
www.advocatehealth.com/goodshepherdgala or call Sue Abderholden at
800.709.1323 | theabbeyresort.com
269 Fontana Boulevard, Fontana, Wisconsin 53125
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847.381.4026.
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