for immediate release

Successful Fifth Annual Summer Dinner Dance

Raises Nearly $500,000 for Chicago Botanic Garden Programs

Media Only:
Julie McCaffrey
(847) 835-8213, direct
jmccaffrey@chicagobotanic.org

GLENCOE, Ill. (July 7, 2007) — The Chicago Botanic Garden’s fifth annual Summer Dinner Dance raised nearly $500,000 for the Garden’s education and research programs. More than 500 glamorous partygoers from Chicago and the North Shore attended the black-tie soiree amid the Garden's summer splendor on June 27. Proceeds support the Garden’s conservation, education and research programs. The Committee for the Summer Dinner Dance was co-chaired by Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Busch (Cathy) of Winnetka, Ill.; Mr. and Mrs. James A. Kuehnle (Brooke) of Chicago, Ill.; and Mr. and Mrs. Barry L. MacLean (Mary Ann) of Mettawa, Ill.

The Esplanade was decorated in a blue and white theme, with blue hydrangeas lining a central walkway, highlighted by large blue and white urns, provided by Pagoda Red. Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres were served as the co-chairs greeted guests while the Music Institute of Chicago String Quartet played. Dinner was served in an elegant pavilion framed by curtains featuring Lee Jofa's "Blue Willow" fabric and dozens of transferware blue and white plates mounted to a white lattice surround. Inside, hundreds of pale, robin’s egg blue and white lanterns bounced across the ceiling and stunning six foot urns on pedestals were filled with orange blossoms or blue and purple delphinium. Dinner tables were draped in white or periwinkle and sprinkled with blue and white vessels filled with garden flowers as well as animal figurines, giving each table its own unique personality. Bill Heffernan, Chicago’s renowned floral and event designer, along with event co-chairs, created the beautiful setting.

Dinner was catered by Calihan Catering, Inc. and began with organic green floral salad and shrimp escabeche with nasturtium blossom vinaigrette, followed by herb roasted tenderloin with exotic mushroom thyme demi glace and truffle cauliflower puree with mélange of Farmer Jones garden vegetables. The dessert of lemon chiboust and berries was served in a blue-and-white porcelain chocolate band emblazoned with the pattern of the Summer Dinner Dance cartouche. The City Lights Orchestra played for guests while they danced late into the night. As guests departed, two thousand luminaries lit the paths through the gardens to Lake Cook Road.

The Sixth Annual Summer Dinner Dance is scheduled for June 26, 2009.

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Editors, please note: The Chicago Botanic Garden's newsroom is online at www.chicagobotanic.org/pr. For digital images, contact Julie McCaffrey at (847) 835-8213 or at jmccaffrey@chicagobotanic.org.

The Chicago Botanic Garden, one of the green treasures of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, is a 385-acre living plant museum featuring 23 distinct display gardens surrounded by lakes, as well as a prairie and woodlands. With events, programs and activities for all ages, the Garden is open every day of the year. Admission is free; select event fees apply. Parking is $15; free for members. On Tuesdays, senior citizens age 62 and older pay just $7 for parking. The Garden is located at 1000 Lake Cook Road in Glencoe, Ill. Visit www.chicagobotanic.org, or call (847) 835-5440 for seasonal hours, images of the Garden and commuter transportation information.

The Chicago Botanic Garden is managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society. It opened to the public in 1972 and is home to the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden, offering a broad array of adult classes in plant science, landscape design and gardening arts. Through the Division of Plant Science and Conservation, Garden scientists work on plant conservation, research and environmental initiatives that have global impact. The Center for Teaching and Learning brings the wonder of nature and plants to children, teens and teachers. The Garden's Horticultural Therapy and Community Gardening programs provide nationally recognized community outreach and service programs. The Garden is also breaking new ground in urban horticulture and jobs training through a 15-acre project in the North Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago called Windy City Harvest. The Chicago Botanic Garden is accredited by the American Association of Museums and is a member of the American Public Gardens Association (APGA). In 2006, the Chicago Botanic Garden received the Award for Garden Excellence, given yearly by the APGA and Horticulture magazine to a public garden that exemplifies the highest standards of horticultural practices and has shown a commitment to supporting and demonstrating best gardening practices.