“My family supports Play for Peace because its programs are powerful, whether they work in suburban schools to help prevent bullying or in divided Chicago neighborhoods to prevent conflict and violence. Many wonderful people attend this event because it’s festive and fun and supports an important organization. We all want our communities to be peaceful, and Play for Peace helps make that a reality.”
- Lisa Gelsomino, vice chair, Play for Peace Board of Directors
When Play for Peace hosts its third annual Feast for Peace in the Chicago area on Thursday, April 14, we will be doing more than raising funds to support our Play for Peace Clubs. It's a presidential election year here in the United States, and we will welcome people from many different cultures, religions, and political stripes to our festive event. In a political climate that has often been marked by sharp division, we will also ask people to get serious about playing nice with fellow members of their communities. “While people may hold many different philosophies about how our country should be governed, Play for Peace brings people together around the common goal of creating peace at a personal and community level,” said Play for Peace Executive Director Sarah Gough.
“Both in Chicago and around the world, Play for Peace creates safe spaces where children from different races, ethnicities, religions, and cultures come together to play and experience what connects them rather than what divides them. The Feast for Peace brings people together in a similar way, centered on our desire to create peace in our neighborhoods and communities, both in Chicago and around the world.” The Feast for Peace will be held at Belvedere Banquets in Elk Grove Village from 5:30 to 8:30 pm on April 14. The evening includes live music, an open bar, silent and live auctions, and a raffle. Jerome McDonnell, host of WBEZ’s Worldview, will emcee the program.
Event highlights include a testimonial from digital marketing expert and Play for Peace volunteer Matt Cardoni and an award presented to an outstanding leader of Play for Peace programs for children and youth, which foster inclusion, compassion, and connection. “My family supports Play for Peace because its programs are powerful, whether they work in suburban schools to help prevent bullying or in divided Chicago neighborhoods to prevent conflict and violence,” said Lisa Gelsomino, vice chair of the Play for Peace board of directors and a business owner in Elk Grove Village. “Many wonderful people attend this event because it’s festive and fun and supports an important organization. We all want our communities to be peaceful, and Play for Peace helps make that a reality.” Tickets are available for a $100 donation to Play for Peace and enable us to provide support for our programs around the world. For more information call (312) 675-8568.
