MAHJONG THE NIGHT AWAY

Shopping, champagne, and friendly competition bring members and friends of the IWS Family Health Auxiliary together for a first-ever Mahjong Night Out.

Shopping, champagne, and a little friendly competition will bring members and friends of the IWS Family Health Auxiliary together on November 11 for its first-ever Mahjong Night Out at Hinsdale Golf Club. With instructors on hand to introduce newcomers to the game, the evening promises fresh connections in an organization where friendships—and commitments to service—often span decades.

Hinsdale’s Natalya Lisa Amond, now serving as Auxiliary co-president, and Clarendon Hills’ Leslie Maggio, first vice president, are among the local women helping lead that work. Across seven chapters, signature events such as the Lake Forest Showhouse & Gardens, Oak Brook’s Mistletoe Medley, and Hinsdale’s Tablescapes turn community generosity into support for Chicago families.

For more than a century, IWS Family Health has helped those families build healthier futures. Its story began with one of the city’s most urgent challenges: keeping infants alive. In the early 1900s, as Chicago faced high infant mortality, the Chicago Milk Commission established neighborhood “milk stations” to distribute safe, pasteurized milk. That simple, essential act of care laid the foundation for the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago, founded in 1911.

As Chicago’s needs have evolved, IWS Family Health has expanded its services, bringing physical, mental, and supportive care together to meet children and families where they are. In fiscal year 2026, the organization served 11,601 patients and provided 44,728 services.

Care spans generations, from comprehensive pregnancy care provided by certified nurse-midwives through hospital partnerships to primary care for children, adolescents, and adults. Physical and mental well-being receive equal attention, with integrated, trauma-informed behavioral health services available across age groups.

For children with developmental delays, support begins in primary care, where early assessment connects families with evaluation and therapeutic services. Preventive and restorative dentistry helps patients of all ages maintain their oral health, while personalized care coordination helps families navigate services and access support. A food pantry extends that commitment beyond the exam room, recognizing that access to healthy food is fundamental to good health.

Powering that work is the IWS Auxiliary, whose members turn community generosity into essential care. In fiscal year 2025, the Auxiliary donated more than $1 million to support IWS Family Health.

Mahjong Night Out adds a new gathering to that tradition, with two local instructors volunteering their expertise. Angela Buikema of Mahjong Mischief and Colleen Loftus of Mariposa Mahjong first met while volunteering at a fundraiser in Hinsdale. Both teach American mahjong, offering classes and corporate team-building events. Together, they founded The Lucky Tiles League, which hosts mahjong events and leagues throughout the western suburbs. Giving back is a favorite part of their work.

“These wonderful ladies are volunteering three hours of their time on our Mahjong night to run the program, teach the game, and share what a beautiful community Mahjong can create. It’s so much more than just a game—it brings people from so many different walks of life together, creates friendships, and gives people a place to connect and feel part of a community. Their willingness to give their time is just one of the many examples of the incredible support and sense of community that surrounds the center,” Amond says.

Mahjong Night Out takes place November 11 at Hinsdale Golf Club, with shopping from 6 to 7 p.m. and mahjong from 7 to 9 p.m. The $95 ticket includes a complimentary glass of Champagne and small bites. Prizes add to the friendly competition, with an Oh My Mahjong starter set—including tiles, a mat, and racks—for the player with the most points. The second-place prize brings holiday cheer with Grinch-themed tiles, a mat, racks, and a dice tray.