Nearly 250 people gathered on a rooftop July 22 for gourmet barbecue; drinks; views of Millennium Park and the Loopand a good cause. The "Up on the Roof" event earned more than $22,000 for the Test Positive Aware Network ( TPAN ) , an organization that provides programs, support services and advocacy for those living with HIV. All of the money was net profit and able to go straight to ensuring the continuance of these services and TPAN's ability to provide them to anyone in need.
The event was spearheaded by TPAN donors Greg O'Neill and Ken Miller, whose artisan cheese, bread and wine shop, Pastoral, is located in the building where the event was hosted, 63 E. Lake. O'Neill said the idea came out of recognizing the tough economic climate's effect on social service agencies.
"We realized that not only just now but for the next number of years there's going to be a gap and people have to step up and start doing effective fundraising to help deliver services through some of our vital agencies, TPAN being one of those agencies that does an amazing job," O'Neill said.
Together, O'Neill and Miller co-chaired the event along with partners Drew Jemilo and Tom Chiola. With their connections in the LGBT and culinary communities, the couples were able to get 100 percent of the food and help donated. TPAN did not have to budget for the event.
"It's huge," said new TPAN Executive Director Bill Farrand. "Given the effort on our part was so little, it's absolutely huge."
O'Neill and Miller came to TPAN with the idea for the more casual event back in March. Pooling their resources with the other co-chairs, they got food donations from The Purple Pig, C-House Fish and Chops, Chef Fredy, Celestial Kitchens and Carnival Fine Foods as well as various wine vendors.
( Inclusion of this paragraph about the food optional ) The Purple Pig cooked up Greek sausage patties served with sautéed rapini for an earthier flavor and C-House provided perfectly cooked burgers with pickled green tomato, savory onion compote and gouda cheese. There were also portabella mushroom sandwiches, an addictive Spanish garlic potato salad and French lentil salad.
Rhett Lindsay, TPAN's Associate Director of Special Events and Communications said the success of the event all came down to the efforts of the co-chairs and everyone on the host committee to turn around and not only get sponsorship and donations, but market and sell out the even in a matter of a few months.
"It was the relationships ( co-chairs ) built within the community that truly helped produce this event that helped the proceeds come back to the agency," Lindsay said. "A lot of times that doesn't happen with a special event."
TPAN's next event will be the Aware Affair Sept. 11. The theme is "Totally '80s Ultra Lounge." More information will become available at www.tpan.com/events