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Annual dinner strengthens Y’s support of kids
Northbrook's Karyn (from left) and Paul Goodrich, Bridget Hughes and Don and Patti Wenzel at the Ken & Alta Thiel Strong Kids Fundraising Dinner. | Karie Angell Luc~For Sun-Times Media
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Updated: June 28, 2012 12:41PM
The sixth annual Ken & Alta Thiel Strong Kids Fundraising Dinner benefiting the North Suburban YMCA filled a packed Hickory Room at the Northbrook Allgauer’s on the Riverfront on Milwaukee Road May 16.
“It’s [NSYMCA] a great family environment,” said Karyn Goodrich of Northbrook, who was accompanied by her husband, Paul.
The Goodriches, 16-year residents, have three daughters: Melanie, 18, a Glenbrook North High School senior; Haley, 15, a GBN sophomore; and Grace, 11, a Greenbriar School fifth-grader. All of their daughters have enjoyed NSYMCA programs, most notably the dance classes championed by Joni Goldstein, performing arts director at the NSYMCA School of Dance.
Goldstein, who has been an NSYMCA employee for more than 35 years, was one of several dance instructors who danced to the tune “YMCA” during the fundraiser. Following the performances, tuxedoed volunteer Ron Bernardi of Northbrook Sunset Foods took to the stage, using his auctioneer skills.
“The NSYMCA Strong Kids campaign is the cornerstone of the Y’s financial assistance program,” said Howard Schultz, NSYMCA executive director/CEO of the event. “The program is set up as a cooperative effort in which the scholarship recipient pays a percentage of program fees, determined by state income guidelines, and the remaining percentage is waived based upon established need.”
This year’s dinner raised $250,000, bringing its six-year total to more than $1.25 million.
Alta Thiel, whose late husband, Ken, was the NSYMCA founder in the 1960s, presented the 2012 Thiel Award for Leadership and Social Responsibility to First Bank of Highland Park.
All attendees enjoyed a meal of flame-roasted vegetable salad, marinated and diced, with a duet of marinated crab-stuffed shrimp with orange beurre blanc mango salsa with petite tenderloin filet and three peppercorn sauce. Dessert was a chocolate banana tart.
The North Suburban YMCA is at 2705 Techny Road in Northbrook, call (847) 272-7250 or visit nsymca.org for more information.
