Chicago, Ill. (August 28, 2012) — Howard Brown Health Center (HBHC) and its Lesbian Community Care Project (LCCP) present the fourth annual Garden of Eve, an annual fundraiser benefitting women's health and wellness services and programs for uninsured women. The event will take place Friday, September 14, 2012 at the beautiful River East Art Center located at 435 E. Illinois street, near the Chicago River. The event kicks off with a VIP reception at 6:00 p.m. and the garden affair beginning at 7:00 p.m.
Featuring a delectable assortment of chef tastings presented by some of Chicago's most recognized chefs and restaurants, Garden of Eve, with its exotic garden-like décor, is an event that brings Chicagoans together to raise funds to provide health and wellness care to uninsured women, regardless of their age or ability to pay.
"With the funds raised from Garden of Eve, Howard Brown Health Center is able to provide much needed health services to uninsured women who need it most," says Dr. Magda Houlberg, senior vice president, Health Center Operations and COO, Howard Brown Health Center. "By supporting Garden of Eve, you support communities in need of health care."
HBHC and LCCP have been meeting the health and wellness needs of women and trans-identified individuals for several years and see more than 4,100 annually. Services available at Howard Brown Health Center include routine primary and mental health care, breast and cervical cancer exams, STI/STD testing, gynecology, and alternative insemination at the Sheridan Road and Triad Health Practice sites.
Garden of Eve's VIP reception will be hosted by Ted Allen, host of Food Network's Chopped. Allen is a frequent contributor to the Food Network's The Best Thing I Ever Ate and the author of In My Kitchen: 100 Recipes and Discoveries for Passionate Cooks and The Food You Want to Eat: 100 Smart, Simple Recipes. He also served as a judge on the first four seasons of Bravo'sTop Chef and Food Network's Iron Chef America.
Entertainment for the event will be provided by 10-time Grammy® Nominee Meshell Ndegeocello. Ndegeocello is a singer-songwriter, rapper, bassist, and vocalist. Her music incorporates a wide variety of influences including funk, soul, hip hop, reggae, R&B, rock, and jazz. She has received significant critical acclaim throughout her career and has been credited for having sparked the neo-soul movement. Her new album, Weather, cloaks itself in the colors of autumn, full of in-between shades and hues and with a certain mildness. Ndegeocello has never been scared of sharing her most intimate thoughts in explicit or colorful terms that always come from the heart, and is true to herself.
HBHC will honor Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Kimberly Y. Smith, MD., associate professor of medicine, Infectious Diseases, Rush University Medical Center, with its coveted Friend for Life Award at Garden of Eve. The award is given to individuals and entities for their commitment, persistent advocacy and dedication of time and resources to promote the health and wellness of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. HBHC will honor Kirkland & Ellis LLP for their significant support and for providing over $2 million and over 13,000 hours of invaluable pro bono counsel on a variety of matters since 2006. Dr. Smith will be honored for her unwavering commitment to the advancement of the treatment for those infected and/or affected by HIV/AIDS and other infectious and chronic diseases. As a renowned infectious disease specialist and researcher, she has lent her expertise to HBHC and several other organizations involved in the eradication of HIV/AIDS. In her role as a physician, she manages the care of approximately 200 HIV-infected men and women as well as teaches fellows, residents, and medical students in inpatient and outpatient settings.
This year's event is co-chaired by Austin Baidas, Amy Crawford, Emily Fry, Vernita Gray and Pat Ewert, Alma Izqierdo, and Lisa Martinez. Serving as honorary co-chairs are U.S. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, Ill. State Senator Heather Steans, and Ill. State Representatives Kelly Cassidy, Sara Feigenholtz, and Deb Mell.
Garden of Eve 2012 sponsors include Walgreens, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, CNA, Northern Trust, Revel Group, Quest Diagnostics, MillerCoors, US Bank and Trust, Olivia Travel, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, McDermott Will & Emory LLP, Orbitz Travel, Mayer Brown LLP, Laboratory Corporation of America (LabCorp), Standard Bank and Trust, Credential Wholesalers, Inc., and ShareASale. This year's media sponsors include The L-Stop, GRAB Magazine, BOI Magazine, Gay Chicago TV, ChicagoPride, and Chicago Phoenix.
