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For more information,
to donate or volunteer visit our website:
333 S. Wabash
16th Floor
Chicago IL, 60604
(312) 822-6699
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The USO of Illinois
annually
serves over 300,000 service members and their families at 5 USO Centers and through hundreds of programs and services.
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As September closes, the USO of Illinois would like to share with you a quick recap on some amazing partnerships and programs we completed this summer. Thank you to all of those who supported the USO of Illinois this summer and we hope to have your continued support this fall!
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Chicago Cubs Support Special Welcome Home
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Each year the USO of Illinois serves 330,000 military and their families. Military families' devotion and sacrifice are often overlooked while their service member is deployed. Whether here on the home front or on the frontlines, the USO is dedicated to serving all aspects of a military family. On July 25, one military family got the surprise of a lifetime from our partners at the Chicago Cubs. U.S. Army Sgt. 1
st Class Vernisa Pope, a Chicago native, has spent the last year on a deployment tour in Kuwait and Afghanistan. Her three daughters Cortnae, 9, Cortnece, 8, and Cortinia, 6, had been living with their Aunt and were getting ready for their mother to return home. Pope reached out to the USO to help surprise her daughters, huge Chicago Cubs fans, with a homecoming at Wrigley Field. With the help of the USO of Illinois, her dream homecoming came true. The girls were selected to bring the games balls to the pitcher mound for a game against the Philadelphia Phillies. As the girls reached the plate The Chicago Cubs announced "a special surprise," and their mother came running out from the home dugout. The cheers of a packed stadium overpowered the family as they reunited for the first time in over six months.
"The USO has been with me for my whole tour of duty," said SGT Pope. "From care packages, to a place to rest in the airport, and I knew they had my back. This homecoming was just the icing on the cake for me. I missed my girls so much while I was away and I wanted to surprise them in the best way I could. I knew the USO of Illinois would be there to make that happen."
To see the Popes' full story click the video below.
Thank you to our partners the Chicago Cubs for helping to reunite this
wonderful family.
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USO's 7th Annual "Clark After Dark" Rocks the Block
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Each year 3,000 people join the USO of Illinois
for Clark After Dark on Hubbard Street
between Clark and LaSalle.
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The USO of Illinois' 7th annual Clark After Dark block party on August 20 was indeed the last "Hoo-ah!"of the 2015 summer! The event raised $130,000 thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and attendees. This support will fund programs for 330,000 military members and their families, each year, in Illinois.
Joining the USO of Illinois as the guest emcees for the evening was Chicago's own Roe Conn and Anna Davlantes! Roe, a longtime Board Member and advocate for the USO of Illinois explains, "USO supports the troops. Everyone says 'I support the troops.' But the USO really does it from their centers at the airport to the comfort and care they give at Naval Station Great Lakes, the USO of Illinois is out every day taking care of our troops. I grew up as an air force "brat" and I know firsthand how much good the USO does for our military members and the community here in Illinois."
The Chicago Blackhawks Ice Crew, military service members, and local Chicagoans all joined the USO of Illinois on Clark Street. The 2nd Battalion 24th Marines attended and brought a custom, Marine Corps Humvee and a U.S. Marine Corps HMMWV. The Marines provided patrons a special glimpse inside and aboard a military vehicle allowing people to go into the emptied out gunner section of the vehicle.
Everyone rocked out to two of Chicago's favorite cover bands, Liquidated Damages and Sixteen Candles.
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Thank you to the 2nd Battalion 24th Marines
for attending this year!
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"A vital part of the USO's core mission is to act as a bridge between civilian and militarycommunities, and to connect the American people to the support of our troops and their families. Our USO Clark After Dark event epitomizes that connection, and with the help of Chicagoland, we are able to do great things for the military men, women and families of Illinois." explained Alison Ruble, President and CEO of USO of Illinois.
The VIP tents were generously catered by the Chicago's River North hotspots, Chicago Cut Steakhouse and Bub City. Once again this year, USO's Clark After Dark was sponsored in part by Boss Bar, a cornerstone establishment in the neighborhood since the 1980's, who provided a deluxe, indoor VIP experience to show their support for local military and the mission of the USO of Illinois.
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A young USO of Illinois supporter checks
out the inside of the Marines HMMWV.
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"I think people really need to take a step back and see how their everyday life is possible because of the men and women that are serving overseas to protect us," said Alexios Milioulis, Director of Client Services at Chicago Cut Steakhouse. The USO of Illinois helps to give these people a respite in our airports while they travel across the country to their duty stations. Chicago Cut Steakhouse is proud to be a sponsor of such a great event."
Thank you to all of our guests, sponsors and partners who came out to make the 7th annual USO Clark After Dark block party a success! To access pictures from the event or learn more about our sponsors, visit our Flickr page at
http://bit.ly/1hZ9CIw
or our website at
www.usoofillinois.org.
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A Story of Success - USO BBQ for the Troops
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Seventy Chicagoland new car dealerships participated in the USO BBQ for the Troops initiative this year, raising $131,000! The program continues to expand and grow with rapid success, doubling what was raised in the first two years together. The addition of the Cup Holder Change Drive in 2015, asking customers with service appointments to donate the change in their cars, allowed dealerships to reach donors in the community for the entire month of July. With the hard work and dedication of each dealership, the USO not only raised a record number of funds, but also the awareness of issues facing our local military families! Thank you to all of the dealerships who participated in the BBQ for the Troops initiative this year, and a salute to our partners at the Chicago Automobile Trade Association for all their energy making BBQ a success!
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Quad Cities Billboard brings the USO to New Heights
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In 2011, the USO of Illinois opened its doors to the USO at Rock Island Arsenal. The USO Rock Island center on the Arsenal serves more than 55,000 active duty, dependents and reservists in the Quad Cities area. With generous support from the Quad Cities International Airport, the USO of Illinois hopes to inspire thousands through messaging on a billboard space located at a key location in the airport. The addition of this billboard is helping the USO of Illinois to raise awareness for programs and services offered to military and military families in the Quad Cities area, and also helping to inspire and educate the community-at-large on why it is important to support our troops.
Special Thanks to the Quad Cities International Airport for supporting our troops locally through the USO!
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USO Star-Spangeled Salute Gala
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The 2015 USO Star-Spangled Salute Gala is on October 24
th at the Field Museum! Visit
www.usoofillinois.org/uso-gala to purchase your tickets and for sponsorship information. For questions please contact Katie Lewis, USO Development Manager, at 312-822-4808.
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