Summer Soirée: Spanish Holiday

Summer Soirée: Spanish Holiday has been postponed to August 2022.

While in-person celebrations are canceled, the virtual silent auction will continue as planned! The silent auction is now LIVE through August 29 at 9 p.m.

Statement from Legal Council (Aug 4, 2021):

Given the recent spike in COVID-19 cases in Chicago and neighboring states, Legal Council for Health Justice has made the difficult decision to cancel our Summer Soirée: Spanish Holiday event scheduled for August 26 at Sidetrack and postpone the event to August 2022. Although we were looking forward to the return of in-person celebrations, our responsibility to protect the health and well-being of our supporters, staff, and the communities we serve is more important.

This decision was not made lightly and comes after discussions with multiple community leaders, including our partner Howard Brown Health who announced their recommendations for implementing strict COVID-19 safety and prevention measures, as well as their decision to not participate in public events. Similar to Howard Brown Health, Legal Council is concerned by data indicating that the COVID-19 Delta variant--which currently accounts for more than 83 percent of recent infections nationwide--spreads more easily and has a more significant effect on younger individuals than other strands of the virus. Although most fully vaccinated people who experience "breakthrough" infections will experience only mild symptoms, those individuals can spread the virus to others who are unvaccinated, which includes young children who are not yet eligible, and those who are immunocompromised or otherwise have shown an inadequate response to the COVID-19 vaccines. As leaders in health justice, the health and safety of everybody in our communities is our top priority. 

All individuals who previously purchased a ticket to attend Spanish Holiday or to enter the Grand Raffle have been contacted. While the in-person event is canceled, our virtual silent auction will continue as planned. The auction will go live on our event page in the coming weeks. Every dollar raised in the auction goes directly back to our communities, connecting individuals with disabilities and chronic health conditions to the support they need to stay healthy, fed, and housed. Legal Council extends a special thank you to businesses and community members who graciously donated items to this year's silent auction, despite facing their own hardships throughout the pandemic.

Legal Council remains dedicated to promoting the health and well-being of all Illinoisans. We will continue to take the necessary steps to protect our communities, and will continue to advocate for accessible, equitable health care and services that allow all of us to reach our full potential.

To learn more about COVID-19 and vaccinations, visit the Illinois Department of Public Health website or the CDC's COVID-19 webpage.

OUR STORY

What began more than 30 years ago in a tiny apartment in Chicago has grown to more than a dozen clinics across the region, where more than 2,400 individuals will receive free legal assistance this year. Additionally, each year thousands of lives are changed from our educational outreach, and millions across Illinois and beyond can live better lives because of our large-scale systemic advocacy.

SPONSORS
(as of 6/17/2021)

Kimball Anderson and Karen Gatsis Anderson
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Sidley Austin LLP
Actuate Law LLC
Barnes & Thornburg LLP
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois
Dentons
Howard Brown Health
Illinois Health and Hospital Association
Winston & Strawn LLP
Foley & Lardner LLP
Goldman Ismail Tomaselli Brennan & Baum LLP
Gilead Sciences
Sidetrack
Fifth Third Bank

HOST COMMITTEE
(as of 8/02/2021)

Jennifer and Eric Butkus
Anthony D'Amato and Jim LoBianco
Betsy Farrington
Brian Fliflet
Nancy Gerrie
Matt Herek
David Igasaki
Kevin Keene
Chris McAdam and Andrew Abeto
Jim McNamara and Luisa Echevarria
Robert Metzler
Jonathan Motto & Kyle Barrettsmith
Mario Sullivan
Tom Yates and Diane Ratekin

Interested in sponsorship opportunities or in donating a silent auction item? Contact Adoley Jordan at [email protected].