Guild of the Chicago Botanic Garden

September 25

The Occasion: For the 12th year in a row, the Guild of the Chicago Botanic Garden held the widely popular Harvest Ball, on the seasonally appropriate grounds of the Garden.

The VIPs: Co-chairs and Guild members Pim Alley of Lake Forest and Lisa Holstein of Chicago greeted guests at the start of the cocktail reception.

The Goods: More than 90 items were up for auction, ranging from golf vacation packages to a ride on the Zamboni at a Blackhawks game.

The Highlights: A raffle was held to win a new, eco-friendly Vespa LX 50, driven in by guest auctioneers Amanda Puck and Brice Cooper to announce the beginning of the live auction and dinner.
The Final Tally: More than $375,000 was raised for the Garden’s Center for Teaching and Learning, which provides educational programs for teachers and youth from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.

chicago-botanic.org

Photography by Larry Miller