Date: Thursday, November 5, 2009
Time: 5:30 PM
Location: South Barrington
Tour of Tastes to Benefit Hands of Hope.
Sample selected wines from around the world, hand-crafted chocolates, and delectable appetizers from seven of The Arboretum of South Barrington's fine restaurants during The Arboretum Uncorked "A Winter Prelude" held 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The charity soiree, to benefit Hands of Hope, will begin at Pinstripes Bowling, Bocce & Bistro, where a complimentary shuttle will transport guests to participating restaurants, which include Anna Shea Chocolates & Lounge, Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant, L'Eiffel Bistrot & Creperie, Gold Class Cinemas, Nozumi Japanese Cuisine, Pinstripes, and Ruth's Chris Steak House. The shuttles will provide constant service throughout the evening, allowing guests to sample at their leisure.
Tickets are $40 per person in advance (available through The Arboretum Web site www.ShopTheArboretumSB.com, with a limited number of tickets available at the door for $50 per person (cash only). Receiving $20 of each ticket will be the Barrington-based charity, Hands of Hope, which works to improve the lives of women and children in Africa. In a similar Uncorked event last June, The Arboretum was able to raise $13,000 for Make-a-Wish Foundation of Illinois. "We hope to raise that much for Hands of Hope," says Michael Jaffe, developer of the 600,000 square-foot town center. "We've made this event as exciting as possible to draw out a good crowd."
A WELL OF HOPE
According to Vicky Wauterlek, president of Hands of Hope, the monies raised at The Arboretum Uncorked will be used to install a well at one of the rural Uganda schools in Ruhaama County that do not typically have access to clean water. Having to resort to drinking from swampy water holes or go without, these children often contract debilitating illnesses. Ms. Wauterlek is seeking to raise funds for 50 wells by April 2010, when the First Lady of Uganda, Janet Museveni, will visit Barrington.
"I applaud The Arboretum for their desire to get to know the community and for offering their support and encouragement to organizations such as ours," says Ms. Wauterlek. "I have never before experienced support at this level from a shopping center." She says up until now, most of her fundraising efforts for this well project have been geared toward schools and private donors. "So, we're really excited about this new opportunity."
Advance tickets for The Arboretum Uncorked may be purchased online at www.ShopTheArboretumSB.com by clicking on the Events page, "Uncorked" option. For further information, contact The Arboretum of South Barrington at (847) 426-6200.
