Jimmy Kays will be filled with emotions Aug. 21. He'll be walking through Lakeview and Andersonville, passing out letters to local businesses, seeking support and donations for a charity fundraiser he is hosting Nov. 14.
Kays also is planning dinner for Aug. 21 with David Moradzadeh and they will, no doubt, toast to the heavens—to their mutual friend Gio Cosentino, who died one year ago from colon cancer.
"Gio was only 26 when he passed away and it just isn't fair," Kays said. "He was such a beautiful and talented person with such a hunger for life. His death has definitely made me appreciate my life that much more and makes me want to help others [who] are dealing with the same thing he had to go through.
"[Cosentino's death] really was [a shock] for me, even though the doctors had only given him a short time to live [after the diagnosis]. Gio was afraid of death, so we never really talked about it. He would talk about how, when he got better, he wanted the two of us to get an apartment together again because he enjoyed being roommates. Although I think the real reason was so he could steal my cat. He was an avid cat lover and would always come in to my room and steal my cat while I was sleeping and lock her in his room. One of the things I miss the most about Gio is hearing him meow at me. He was always meowing at people."
Kays last saw Cosentino Aug. 18, 2011.
"He was in and out of the hospital and not always feeling up for company, so, when I found out he had been discharged I got a hold of him and he invited me over to his place," Kays said. "I was supposed to work that evening, but knowing about his condition, I got the night off to spend with him and I am so thankful. We just hung out, watching TV and talking until he got tired and kicked me out. I told him that the next time I came over I was going to bring my cat for him to play with because I thought it would really do him well to interact with her. He was very excited to see her.
"Unfortunately, [three days later] I got the call [of his death] as I was heading to work. I knew it was coming, but I wasn't ready for it to be that soon. No one was."
Kays, 36, lives in Chicago's Wrigleyville neighborhood, is the night manager at Sidetrack in Lakeview. Originally from St. Louis, Kays has lived in Chicago since 2006.
Kays and Cosentino met in 2008; shortly thereafter, they became roommates.
"When Gio passed away, I didn't want to just sit around and think about things that were out of my control. Instead I decided to create Over the Rainbow to keep Gio's legacy alive. Every penny raised [through Over the Rainbow fundraising efforts will be used] to help in the fight against cancer—because of him.
"Over the Rainbow has been such a blessing to me. It motivates me each day to get up and make this year's event better than last year."
The 2011 Over the Rainbow, held at Sidetrack, featured six performers and 53 silent auction items, including a dinner date with Ronnie Kroell of Make Me A Supermodel (Bravo), two round-trip tickets on Southwest Airlines and more. About 350 attended and more than $10,000 was raised for the American Cancer Society and Howard Brown Health Center.
"Being that [2011] was the very first event I had ever planned, I was unsure how things would go," Kays said. "Last year, I pulled off the first Over the Rainbow [fundraiser] in three months, so being that I have all year I'd like to make everything about this year's event bigger and better."
All six singers and performers—Amy Armstrong, Stephen Leonard, Molly Callinan, Cyon Flare, Circuit Mom, and Sasha Colby—are back for the 2012 event.
"Gio has brought so many wonderful people in to my life," Kays said. "I have kind of adopted his family and they have adopted me back. His grandparents are two of the sweetest people you could ever meet.
"Over the Rainbow has given me a purpose in life. Helping people is my passion and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about Over the Rainbow and what it stands for."
Funds raised at the 2012 Over the Rainbow event in November will benefit Gilda's Club.
"I learned about Gilda's Club shortly before my benefit last year. I saw an advertisement for their LGBT chapter on ChicagoPride and I reached out to them," Kays said. "They invited me over for a tour of the facilities and to talk about Over the Rainbow. I loved the atmosphere and was impressed with everything they have to offer. I made up my mind last year that, if I decided to have another benefit, I wanted them to be the beneficiary."
Gilda's Club Chicago is a support community for people living with cancer along with their families and friends.
For more information on Over the Rainbow, go to www.overtherainbow773.com .
