About 150 people will “Gather for Good” at Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois’ (LCFS) 33rd annual Harvest Festival on Friday, October 28.

It’s a treasured tradition for many. For those who have not previously attended, it’s a must-add to fall calendars. LCFS does incredible work year-round, and the Harvest Festival is important in supporting all this organization regularly accomplishes.

The fundraiser will return to a fully in-person event at the chic Le Meridien Hotel in Oak Brook in their top-floor windowed ballroom. The fall-themed festive night will feature live and silent auctions, raffles, a wine and whiskey pull, open bar, food buffets, live music, and dancing.

“The Harvest Festival provides the opportunity to celebrate a legacy of service that goes back almost 150 years and our current position as a leader within Illinois’ child welfare system,” says Mike Bertrand, LCFS President and CEO.

LCFS has grown into one of the largest community-based social service agencies in Illinois with programs including foster care, adoption, counseling, and preventative services. “We are especially proud of our work to reduce children’s time in foster care and reunite families,” says Bertrand. Last year, 40 percent of foster children served by LCFS left foster care to a loving forever family as compared to the state’s average of 30 percent. Nearly 70 percent of those children were reunited with their families.

The Harvest Festival is LCFS’ premier fundraising event of the year. Money raised helps LCFS do things like providing preventative services for families to keep children out of foster care, recruit foster families, and ensure foster children served by LCFS have access to things that will help them thrive, like summer camp or Little League. It is a hard-working group devoted to protecting childhood for so many Illinois kids.

This year, attendees will have the opportunity to bid on live auction items such as a piece of jewelry donated by C.D. Peacock, a three-hour private, catered yacht cruise on Lake Michigan for 24 people, and an African photo safari trip. Tickets are $175, and this year a limited number of VIP tickets are also available for $250. The VIP experience includes a champagne toast upon arrival, a swag bag and complimentary valet parking.

Volunteer planning committee members are: Nancy Ansorge, Lisa Barrett, Barbara Benington, Angela Crews, Anne Deis, Dianne Frantzis, Marian Fick, Susie Jones, Beth Kos, Mandy Lesko, Holly Renehan, Mary Ryan, Paige Sullivan, Krista Talley, Lauren Walsh; and LCFS staff: Leslie Lopez, Cheryl Wendt and Mandy Widtfeldt.

www.lcfs.org/harvestfestival