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Dick’s hosts 25 years of smiles for city’s underprivileged children
(Above) A party guest accepts a gift from Santa at a charity event Wednesday at Dick’s Last Resort in River North. (Click on images to view larger versions.) December 3, 2015 – 25 years ago, the Illinois Secretary of State was Jim Edgar, the 18th district police commander was Ettore DeVito, and young residents of the Cabrini-Green public housing project attended the first holiday party for underprivileged children at Dick’s Last Resort, which was then located in Streeterville. On Wednesday, about 50 children, selected by community volunteers and school officials and bussed in from area schools and churches, attended this year’s party at Dick’s Marina City location. Over the years, the cost of gifts for 1,800 children, a special “kid friendly” buffet, and closing most of the restaurant during the event, has totaled more than $75,000. “These are children who probably would not be getting much for Christmas,” says Steve Schiff, owner of the riverfront restaurant, “and in these hard economic times we wanted to provide a really special afternoon.” Helping with the event is the Community Alternative Policing Strategy for the 18th police district in Chicago. CAPS is a policing strategy involving the Chicago Police Department, other city agencies, and neighborhood stakeholders.
It took four hours to wrap the gifts on Monday. Serenaded by carolers from VanderCook College of Music in Chicago, each child received a gift specially selected for him or her, along with a stocking full of school supplies. aLawCenters, a provider of office space and other resources to lawyers in Chicago, helped pay for the supplies.
(Above) Gifts for the charity event on Wednesday, wrapped at Dick’s Last Resort on Monday. (Photo obtained from Dick’s Last Resort.) Kathy Posner, a member of the community policing office’s advisory council, has organized the event since 1990. |
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Serving the Loop and Near North neighborhoods of downtown Chicago
