SPARK 2022: Tickets on sale NOW!

We are excited to announce that tickets for the SPARK 2022: Building a Brighter Future Benefit are now on sale! Invitations are hitting the mailboxes this week, but digital sales are already open.  

Please join us for an evening of celebration honoring Center for Independent Futures’ 20 years of supporting full lives on Thursday, October 27 at the Hilton Chicago/Northbrook, 2855 Milwaukee Avenue, Northbrook, Illinois. 

The reception will begin at 6:30 pm, followed by dinner and the program at 7:00. After the program concludes, we will hit the dance floor with Euphoria Band until 9:45.

Space is limited, so get your tickets now! Click here to purchase your tickets by October 20.

What is a Golden Ticket, you ask?

Missed getting a ticket to SPARK? Why not buy a Golden Ticket!

What is a Golden Ticket, you ask? Well, by purchasing 1 or more of only 150 Golden Tickets, you will have a good chance to win YOUR CHOICE of one of the fabulous live-auction prizes before bidding even begins! We will draw the Golden Ticket winner just prior to the live auction at SPARK, and you could win one of these fabulous prizes for only $100! Choose your package when you buy your ticket. Winners need not be present. Buy yours today and snag a unique experience!

 

Magnificent Views in Costa Rica

Enjoy a weeklong vacation at Villa Magnifica in Costa Rica, overlooking the Pacific Ocean and two gorgeous beaches. You and nine of your friends will enjoy this 5 bedroom villa featuring an outdoor shower, infinity-edge pool, and upstairs terrace view. Airfare is not included. Christmas time is the only blackout period, and the winner has 24 months to use their week.

 

Escape the City to Beautiful Galena, Illinois

You and 5 guests will enjoy this easy getaway just 3 hours from Chicago. This lovely 3 bedroom house is located in the heart of the Galena Territory, near golf courses and downtown Galena’s vibrant shopping district.  Dates to be mutually agreed upon with the owner and the winner has 24 months to use their week. This house is a beauty any time of year!

 

Gourmet Dinner for Eight in Your Home!

Evanston’s Deux Gourmandes, Chris Baer and Bonnie Dohogne will prepare and serve a five-course dinner for eight in your home. Chirs and Bonnie will work together with you to design the perfect meal to fit your taste! Dinner includes complimentary wine. Dates to be mutually agreed upon with the chefs, and the winner has 12 months to plan their dinner.

 

Experiential Night on the Town

Enjoy a multi-course dinner for two at Alinea. Alinea has been universally praised for its innovative approach to modernist cuisine. Alinea is one of only 14 restaurants in the U.S. to earn the coveted Michelin 3-Star rating. Wine pairing for two included in this experience. Gift card to include funds to cover 20% gratuity and valet parking.

 

Da Bears vs. Vikings, Monday, December 20th

The two tickets are located in Section 342, Row 10, Seats 17 & 18. This will be the last televised home game of the 2021/2022 season. Enjoy a night out with one of our favorite home teams. The package includes a gift card to cover parking, meals, and drinks, and includes a Bears scrapbook and four bobbleheads from the 100th year celebration.

The time is NOW to enter our Golden Ticket Raffle to snag one of our live-auction prizes for only $100! You do not need to be present to win.

A SPARK Like Never Before

On Saturday, November 7th, Independent Futures hosted our first ever virtual SPARK! This community has grown so much over the past year. It was time to celebrate! Whether you were able to join us or not, you can watch the video on YouTube. Until then, check out the recap of a night we will never forget. 

Wonderful Performances At SPARK

A young man sits with face illuminated as he reads poetry. Purple intro banner reads "Adrian Drower, poetry reading"

Did you know that the Independent Futures community is fortunate to have artists of all types? At SPARK, three individuals treated us to performances of their talents. Sheila Serota sang an original song for us. Adrian Drower performed an original poetry reading. Finally, Carlos Coleman played a lovely piano duet. Check out the performances and learn more about these artists in the clip below.

 Our Awesome Community

Like always, we announced the recipients of the Jane Doyle Awesome Awards at SPARK. First, our outstanding Community Partner has always offered their support during our events. Dennis Clarkson and Gigio’s Pizzeria are like a family, and they have always helped out whenever they could.

A woman stands in front of a gray/green background with a gray shirt and  light blue scarf on. The purple intro banner reads "Sharon Purdy, Awesome Award Recipient"

The Staff recipient puts equity and access at the forefront of all that she does. In her work with the Evanston Township High School Transition House, students develop important life skills before leaving school. Sharon Purdy truly embodies what it means to be community focused. 

 

Finally, the Participant recipient is someone who has a vibrant social life and is always willing to lend a hand. Jenny Mottola serves on the Advisory Council and has been part of our community for many years. 

Aiming For The Stars

At the end of the evening, we were joined by our favorite Chicagoland band, Euphoria! With a 45 minute set, Euphoria helped us make SPARK 2020 an evening to remember. Audience members got out of their seats and danced through every song Euphoria played! 

Illustrated graphic that shows a red Alfa Romero car behind an orange construction sign reading "Detour Rescheduled Sat. Nov 7 2020"And to make the evening even better, we met our fundraising goal thanks to all of your support! Not only did we reach our goal, but we were also able to fulfill the match offered by generous donors. Now we are ready to take on 2021 and everything the new year will bring. 

We don’t have all of the information about SPARK 2021 yet, but we expect to hold the event in the fall. We hope to see you all there! 

Optimizing your cryptocurrency investments becomes seamless with debank. Gain valuable insights into your portfolio’s performance and identify lucrative opportunities in the ever-evolving world of digital assets. You can also explore debank.lt and debank_crypto for comprehensive market analysis and portfolio management tools. Simplify the management of your diverse crypto portfolio with ledger live desktop, a comprehensive platform that provides a holistic view of your digital assets and their performance. Uncover the fine features of aave, a decentralized blockchain finance platform. Learn about overcollateralized loans, flash loans, and Tokens. Discover the benefits of ledger live download and learn how to effectively manage your cryptocurrency portfolio like a pro. Take a look at gate io exchange, a cryptocurrency exchange that was established in 2013 and continues to flourish in 2023, offering an extensive range of features. Discover gate io, a comprehensive cryptocurrency exchange with a wide range of features. Founded in 2013, this platform offers trading options, user interface, fees, security measures, and more. Take your cryptocurrency investments to new heights with ledger live download, the ultimate guide to managing your portfolio like a pro.

For an all-in-one solution to monitor and manage your digital assets, turn to powerful ledger live desktop tools that streamline the process of handling multiple crypto currencies within a single, intuitive interface.
Optimizing your NFT portfolio and cryptocurrency holdings is a breeze with Blur NFT. Don’t miss out on the opportunities the digital asset market offers.

RSVP To Virtual SPARK!

Independent Futures hosted SPARK every April for more than a decade. Like many other organizations, this year has presented us with opportunities to try new things, like moving to a virtual SPARK! We are working hard to make our virtual celebration as much fun as our typical annual celebration.

How To Attend SPARK

Illustrated graphic that shows a red Alfa Romero car behind an orange construction sign reading "Detour Rescheduled Sat. Nov 7 2020"Head over to our SPARK event page to RSVP. Because SPARK will be online, Independent Futures will not sell tickets. For the first time, SPARK is free to attend for all – even our post-celebration dance party.

When you RSVP for SPARK, you will receive a confirmation email that includes a Zoom link. Save this email or add it to your calendar to make sure you don’t lose the link. We will also send reminder emails starting the week before November 7th. Those emails will also include the Zoom link in case your original email goes missing! 

What To Expect At Virtual SPARK

While SPARK usually entails dancing, dinner, auctions, and games, our program will be shorter this year. The program will also be driven by individuals in our community who want to share their talents. 

When you tune in, you can expect to hear from Ann Sickon, our Executive Director, and watch performances arranged and filmed by participants or tutors. In between these accomplished artists, we will announce our 2020 Awesome Award honorees! 

Our Exclusive After Party

People dance at SPARK after the end of the program.After we end our virtual SPARK program, Independent Futures is thrilled to announce that we will be hosting an after party! 

Join us and our favorite band, Euphoria, for a 45 minute dance party! All you need to do is stay on the Zoom call during a 5 minute intermission. After intermission, we will return with Euphoria ready to play some of your favorite songs. 

You Can Help Independent Futures

A woman and young man next to each other at SPARK, an Evanston eventIf you are able, the best way to help Independent Futures right now is by donating to SPARK. No gift is too small – or too great. You can donate online or via text by texting SPARK20 to 44-321. 

Don’t forget: RSVP today to be part of this unique celebration. We hope to see you online on November 7th!

sat07nov7:00 pmSPARK

Discover Our Slate of Fall Events

By now, it goes without saying that 2020 will be a year of new experiences and unlimited changes. Like every other nonprofit, Independent Futures needed to pivot in March. Together, we needed to create ways to meet our goals while maintaining the friendly, inclusive community atmosphere we are known for. Today we are announcing our upcoming slate of fall events!

Drive Thru For Full Lives

Participants check in and receive their meals at the drive-thru at Nissan AutobarnOn Sunday, July 26th, we hosted our 1st ever drive-thru! We were unsure we would be allowed to hold SPARK in person due to gathering restrictions. For that reason, Independent Futures needed to use the $21,000 in event rental deposits that we placed for SPARK. 

Thanks to this generous community & our partnership with The Autobarn Nissan of Evanston, we have used half of those deposits already! On a beautifully sunny day, about 100 members of our community participated in our drive-thru. With a delicious picnic feast, Independent Futures’ community could celebrate each other in a safe, socially distant manner! 

Bingo With Alexis Bevels

Person in orange wig and pink shirt with suspenders and underneath reads Alexis BevelsOn Sunday, August 30th, our Young Professionals Board is hosting online bingo with local Chicago drag queen Alexis Bevels! In a normal year, we host an evening of raunchy fun in partnership with Hamburger Mary’s, and we did not want to miss an opportunity for fun these days.

Take a chance on our raffles and win prizes when you complete your bingo card! A way to purchase bingo cards will be available soon. In the meantime, go pencil “Independent Futures Bingo” on your calendar from 6:30-8:00 on August 30th. 

Drive-In Movie at Temperance Beer Co.

Cases of Temperance Beer stacked on top of each other with a beautiful summer sky in the background.Next, we will be hosting a drive-in movie with our friends at Temperance Beer Co. on Saturday, September 26th. We haven’t picked out our movie yet, but you’ll know as soon as we do! 

We are still filling in details on our fall events like the drive-in. For now, we know that there will be delicious food, Evanston’s favorite beer, and some of your favorite movie candies! Tickets will be available for purchase in mid-August. You know what to do now: save the date! 

Taking SPARK Online

Illustrated graphic that shows a red Alfa Romero car behind an orange construction sign reading "Detour Rescheduled Sat. Nov 7 2020"Finally, our biggest pivot this year. We are officially going to host SPARK as a virtual event this year. Our favorite part of SPARK is exactly what sets our events apart from others. As a fully inclusive event, SPARK is both a celebration of our community and for our community. The individuals we support look forward to SPARK like a prom night, and it is deeply saddening that we cannot gather in person this year. 

We don’t know exactly what format SPARK will take this year, but we will gather virtually on Saturday, November 7th. Stay tuned for more information about activities and our Awesome Awards!

Thank You!

Ann & Niki hold a sign saying "Thank You Independent Futures Drive-Thru" while wearing masksNone of our work would be possible without the generous support of community members like you. We want to express our deep gratitude for the Independent Futures community. No matter your connection – whether you are an activities or tutoring participant, a family member, a donor, or a Chicagoland resident – thank you. We hope to see you at one of our fall events soon! 

SPARK 2020: Save the Date

A woman and young man next to each other at SPARK, an Evanston eventHave you heard about how much fun our Evanston events are from your friends? Do you want to experience an event that illustrates what it means to fully include people with disabilities? Join us at SPARK on Saturday, November 7th to join the movement.

For the first time ever, Independent Futures is partnering with The Autobarn of Evanston as a host for this year’s theme, Create Your Journey. At Independent Futures, we support adults with disabilities as they explore the paths open to them, crafting their own futures. When you join us at SPARK, you will become part of the journey to inclusion.

What To Expect At This Evanston Event

Two young adults with disabilities post for camera at SPARKWe view SPARK as an opportunity to celebrate our whole community, including Independent Futures’ participants, families, employees, donors, and community partners. That means there will be dancing, dinner, and a lot of chances for fun! 

The evening will begin with the chance to bid on some of Chicago and Evanston’s favorite stores, restaurants, and experiences. Past auction items include tickets to Cubs games, classic Chicago artwork, and handmade woodworking from local artisans. 

The reception will be followed by dinner and a live auction. At last year’s live auction, winners took home trips to Costa Rica, a golf outing with a pro, gorgeous artwork from a local artist, and more! Plus, you won’t want to miss our favorite game, Heads or Tails. We will finish the evening by dancing our hearts out to a favorite of ours, Euphoria Band

Getting Tickets to SPARK

A group of SPARK attendees smile around a table at SPARKLet all your friends know you’re busy on Saturday, November 7th now, and get your tickets online today. You’ll want to get your tickets fast because SPARK sold out 3 weeks early last year! 

In the meantime, RSVP to our Facebook event page and check out these great photos from SPARK 2019 to get ready. 

Jonathan’s Double Dutch Trip to The Netherlands and Belgium

Jonathan Shuman is a man who loves to travel the world, viewing the world in a positive and friendly way. He wants to share how he uses our philosophy of “create your journey” to live out his dreams. These are his thoughts from his trip to The Netherlands and Belgium.

Visiting Brussels, Belgium

Three adults stand in the middle of a street in front of intricate European-style buildingsToday, my Search Beyond Adventures group went to Brussels in Belgium. We had to wake up at around 6 am in the morning, and we ate breakfast at around 7 am in the morning. Then, a shuttle van arrived in front of our Amsterdam hotel. We got in the shuttle van, and it took about 2-3 hours to drive in the shuttle from Hoofddorp, Netherlands, to Brussels, Belgium. 

When we arrived in Brussels, the first thing we did was go to a chocolate factory called the Belgian Chocolate Village. We toured the chocolate factory and we learned how to make chocolate from cocoa beans which in turn originate from carob trees. Then, the cocoa beans are harvested. They are dried to prevent moisture, and they have to go through several different processes including a quality check. The cocoa beans are then shipped around the world to factories and are then crushed and formed into chocolate and milk is optionally added to the chocolate. We also saw models made out of chocolate such as the Atomium and Les Arcades de la Cinquantenaire. 

For lunch, we went to a Mediterranean restaurant called Snack Simonis. I ate a chicken wrap sandwich with French fries on the side. After that, our group went into the city of Belgium and we saw the murals of famous Belgian comic strip characters such as Tintin and Asterix and Obelix. I also got my photo taken in front of the iconic Manneken Pis which is the statue of a boy with water coming out of his genitals but it’s a fountain. We also did lots of shopping in Brussels. I bought a pack of stroopwafels that I’m going to give to my mother as a present and souvenir. 

An octagonal sculpture stands tall against the blue sky on a green strip of parklandIn the street, we danced to music by street musicians who did cover versions of songs such as “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee. We also went to a cathedral and took photos inside and outside of the cathedral. Later, I ate a Belgian waffle with chocolate syrup on top. It tasted creamy and sweet and tender. 

For dinner, we went to a Belgian restaurant called La Rose Blanche. I ate meatballs in tomato sauce with French fries. It tasted tender and fresh. After our trip was over, we got back into the shuttle van and we drove for 2-3 more hours and we arrived back in Hoofddorp Netherlands. I had such a great time in Brussels, Belgium. It was pleasant visiting Brussels and speaking both French and Dutch.

Tomorrow our group will go to Delft to see a pottery store where the Dutch make blue and white colored pottery items such as plates and tablets, etc.

So for now, Au revoir and Tot ziens and have a goede vakantie.

Learning About Dutch Pottery

Today, we woke up at 7:00 in the morning and went downstairs to eat breakfast at 8:00. Then, we took the train to go to this little Dutch city called Delft. 

When we were in Delft, we went to this pottery factory where the Dutch make pottery that is colored blue and white. A guide gave us a tour of the Dutch pottery factory by a potter who showed us how pottery was made. Pottery can be made by molding a form out of clay, then it is kept in the refrigerator overnight. Then the artist paints the piece white. Next, the artist draws designs in black ink on the piece. After that, the piece is dipped into glaze which conceals the design. Finally, the piece is put into an oven where the glaze is removed and the potter paints the design blue and white. Voilà, there is a piece of pottery that’s completed.

A large building in Amsterdam against a cloudy blue skyAfter we took a tour of the pottery factory in Delft, we ate lunch at a Mediterranean restaurant. I ordered a chicken wrap sandwich with lettuce ketchup and mayonnaise and French fries on the side. After lunch, we strolled through Delft, Netherlands viewing the canals, cathedrals, and even a horse drawn carriage.

Then later, around 3-4 pm, we went back to the Hampton by Hilton hotel and we relaxed for a bit. We tried to eat dinner downstairs but unfortunately the bar that only serves dinner on 5 days – not Sundays. Instead we ordered dinner from a Hawaiian poke restaurant, which is located near Amsterdam Netherlands.

Tomorrow we might do one last thing before we head back to Chicago, Illinois, the next day. Until then, Goodbye or Tot ziens as in Dutch and have a goede vakantie.

Last Day in Amsterdam

Jonathan stands to the right of a green windmill in AmsterdamToday, we woke up at around 5 am and ate breakfast. Then, we went into the city of Amsterdam. Our first stop was to visit the Anne Frank House. This is the same house that Anne Frank and her family hid from the Nazis during World War II. 

When Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany during the 1930s, the Frank family moved from Germany to Amsterdam where they hid in an apartment’s secret room concealed by a bookcase. They couldn’t make noises and they couldn’t run water or flush the toilet or they would be found by the Nazis. Miep Gies was one of the people who helped Anne Frank and her family hide from the Nazis. 

In 1944, one of the neighbors eventually found the Frank family and Nazis imprisoned the family. The Nazis deported Anne Frank’s family to Auschwitz Birkenau concentration camp. Anne Frank died in August of 1945. Her diary that she kept with her when she was hiding with her family still survives even to this day. 

This reminded me about human rights and the negative effects of racism and intolerance inflicted by the Nazis. It also reminded me that human beings are the most destructive forces ever to roam the face of the earth. Humans are also responsible for the evils in this world such as they litter, they drive cars which emit carbon and they destroy the planet and human beings kill other people and animals for food as well. I still think fantasy is better than reality. Which do you think is better: humans or dragons? I honestly think dragons are better than humans.

A canal tour business in Amsterdam with turreted building to its leftAfter we took a tour of the Anne Frank house, we took a cruise ferry tour on an orange ferry along the Prinsengracht canal. We saw the architectural buildings and we learned about the history of the Netherlands and Amsterdam. During the 17th century, there was a Golden Age in the Netherlands when painters such as Jan Steen, Vincent Van Gogh, and Johannes Vermeer flourished.

After that, we took the Amsterdam tram from the city of Amsterdam back to Amsterdam Centraal and from there we took the train to Schiphol Airport. Finally, we took a shuttle bus back to the Hampton by Hilton hotel.

Tomorrow, Tuesday June 11, 2019, we have to wake up at around 4:30 am because our flight leaves at 9:05 am back to JFK airport. Then I will fly into Chicago from New York City.

I want to say Goodbye or Tot ziens to Amsterdam & Brussels. It has been a pleasure visiting. I’m going to miss you two. I hope to see you again someday in the future. Dank je wel.

Have a goede vakantie.

View Jonathan’s England and Ireland trip journals, starting with part 1. You can support participants to “create your journey,” this year’s theme for our spring event, by attending SPARK on Saturday, November 7th.

SPARK 2019: Igniting Dreams

Did you miss out on igniting dreams at SPARK 2019 at the Hilton Orrington? Or maybe you were there and just want to relive the fun? This year was the FIRST year we sold out at SPARK! The Hilton’s ballroom was jam-packed, and we enjoyed seeing everyone there to celebrate independent, full lives with us!

Awards and Winners

As always, we awarded three very special honorees the Jane Doyle Awesome Awards! The Awesome Awards celebrate individuals and organizations that embody Independent Futures’ core values. Read our new blog on the Awesome Award winners to find out more.

Preparing for the Golden Ticket raffle drawing. A woman in green stands on the left, next to the golden raffle drum and a woman in red. A man in a gray suit speaks into a microphone as another man pulls the winning ticket.We want to offer congratulations to the winner of our annual Heads or Tails game, Linda Hauser! She won a gift card to Hotels.com plus tickets to the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre.

Finally, we want to say congratulations to Stephanie Olsen, the winner of our first ever Golden Ticket raffle! Stephanie purchased her Golden Ticket before SPARK and chose the live auction item Take Me Out to the Ball Game. She won four behind-home-plate tickets to a Cubs game this summer!

Silent and Live Auctions

People dance at SPARK after the end of the program.2019 was our biggest year yet in many ways! Though our silent auction had fewer items, our supporters still helped us raise more in this area than we could have hoped. Not to mention: this year’s live auction blew past years out of the water!

Independent Futures could not work toward the future we envision without the help of our supporters. As a small gift to all of you: Everyone can now find photos of the night on our Facebook page now!

Thank you to everyone who came to SPARK 2019, donated, or otherwise participated in igniting dreams at this year’s SPARK! We’ll see you next year!

 

2019 Awesome Award Winners

SPARK is an annual celebration of our community, but it is also a chance for us to celebrate the stellar individuals and organizations who support this work every day. Recipients of the Jane Doyle Awesome Awards represent Independent Futures through dedication, innovative leadership, personal integrity, and community-forward thinking.

On April 26, we honored three community members who embody these qualities with the Jane Doyle Awesome Awards. These awards are given to a staff member, a participant, and a community partner. Read on to learn more about this year’s honorees!

Stellar Staff: Jackie Eddy

Jackie stands with Jane to accept the staff Awesome AwardWith more than 20 years of service, Jackie has been with Independent Futures since day 1. Really, she has been here since before day 1, meeting Jane at the bus stop where their children were picked up for school. The two bonded over the need for better access to future opportunities for people with disabilities.

Since then, Jackie created the “voice” of Independent Futures, mentored new staff, and developed the New Futures Initiative training program. Jackie’s work at Independent Futures means new opportunities for individuals with disabilities to be independent across the country. Jackie demonstrates passion and commitment to creating opportunities for individuals with disabilities to fully live, work, and give back in their communities.

Professional Participant: Nestor Gonzalez

Ann, Jane, and Nestor stand together with the framed Awesome Award certificate.Since joining Independent Futures’ community, Nestor has grown in a variety of ways. He is a hard worker, a leader, and an active community volunteer. Over the last few years, Nestor joined the Young Professionals Board where he acts as a liaison to the Advisory Council.

As a member of our community, Nestor seeks new and creative ways to maintain a productive relationship between our young professionals and participants. He enjoys his job and a healthy, loving relationship – all with grace and a professional demeanor!

Creative Community: Evanston Community Foundation

Marybeth of Evanston Community Foundation stands next to Jane and Ann with their new, gold Awesome Award statue.We awarded our final 2019 Awesome Award to Evanston Community Foundation. The foundation has walked alongside Independent Futures since the beginning. Evanston Community Foundation awarded Independent Futures our very first grant many years ago.

Since that first grant, the foundation has generously provided many new collaborative grants, funding opportunities like our Transportation Camp and Life Skills Camp. The support of Evanston Community Foundation helps us make Evanston a more just, vibrant, and inclusive place for individuals with disabilities.

Congratulations once again to each of this year’s winners! As one of our core values, community means everything here at Independent Futures. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for walking this path with us.

Ignite Dreams at SPARK With Us!

In just under a month, we will be dancing the night away and sharing the dreams of our community at SPARK. A night for our community to get together and celebrate all we have achieved this year, SPARK is a night out you don’t want to miss. This year we have some new and exciting features, plus we have been making changes to guarantee you will have the most fun possible!

Silent Auction Prizes

One part of the evening that won’t be changing is our silent auction! We have roughly 70 wonderful packages for guests to take home at the end of the evening.

Florida house view over the ocean with deck railing in frame

From wonderful dining experiences to enjoying excellent theatre performances, we hope that our guests will all find something to bid on! A few examples include a weeklong stay at a condo in Florida, two roundtrip tickets to anywhere in the U.S. from Southwest Airlines, an astounding package from SPACE, and so much more.

Watch for chances to start bidding early about a week before SPARK!

The New Golden Ticket Raffle

In past years, SPARK featured an awesome raffle where the winner was able to “split the pot” with us, but we are trying something new this year! We are happy to be introducing the Golden Ticket raffle!

Sunset in Costa Rica with palm trees in frame, the sky is painted different shades of blue, pink, orange, yellow, and purple.We are selling a limited 150 Golden Tickets, meaning you have a 1/150 chance of winning when you purchase a single ticket. Golden Ticket holders choose their prize selection at the time of purchase from our amazing live auction items. Whether you want to go to Costa Rica or see a Cubs game with stellar seats, we have an item for everyone’s needs.

Winners need not be present to win, but we hope you will stay the whole evening to dance and ignite the spark of our community’s dreams with us!

Changes to Our Program

This year, we are making exciting changes to our program! It is our hope these will allow us to better ignite dreams at SPARK. We will be shortening the program to allow for more of everyone’s favorite part of the night – dancing! We will still be honoring stellar supporters through the Jane Doyle Awesome Awards, but we will end earlier so your dancing shoes see some awesome moves!

Thank You Sponsors, Entertainment, and Guests!

Finally, we want to thank some amazing individuals and businesses who are supporting us at SPARK this year. First, our entertainment, Euphoria Band, will be putting on a great show for us again this year.

Crowd of guests dancing at SPARKNext, thank you to our sponsors because we could not put together such an amazing celebration without each of you. Thank you PSAV, Sidley Austin, Inland Bank, Byline Bank, Monahan Law Group, Rubin Law, Northwestern University, Oak Wealth Advisors, Simon Cordwell Buenz, and Nike Whitcomb & Associates for your support!

And last but never least, we thank our guests at SPARK who will join us in honoring this community. None of the hopes and dreams we help make reality could ever be possible without every one of you! Get your tickets today!

Success Stories

Current Month

wed06nov1:00 pmwed2:00 pmSocial Hour - Wednesday - Zoom

wed06nov6:30 pmwed9:00 pmPoetry Plus - Zoom

thu07nov1:00 pmthu2:00 pmSocial Hour - Thursday - In Person

thu07nov5:00 pmthu7:00 pmAnime Club - In-Person and Zoom

fri08nov10:30 amfri11:30 amFriday Walking Club - In Person

Volunteer your time and talent

Regardless of your expertise or experience, giving of yourself can change lives for the better and create new possibilities for those with disabilities.

Volunteer »

Give the gift of independence

Your tax-deductible contributions help us provide life-changing services, develop innovative solutions, and increase community education and outreach.

Engage with dynamic crypto markets at voltix momentum.