By Judy Carmack Bross
Summer Soiree Co-Chairs (from left) Emily Sturgess, Bridget Tully Vrabel, Annie Hudson, and Emily Krall.
“Everyone loves yacht rock, whether you are twenty or sixty. ‘Anchors Aweigh’ reflects the Board’s vision to bring together many generations of Northwestern Memorial Hospital supporters in a shared celebration of our work, our commitment, and our friendships. – Sarah Schrup, President of the Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
Acclaimed yacht rock band Anchors Away performs June 7 for the Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital at its Summer Soiree at the Saddle & Cycle Club. Cocktails and culinary delights will be served with Lake Michigan as backdrop, while guests dance to yacht music’s 1970s and ‘80s favorites with jazzy lyrics and smooth tempos. The starlit evening will raise critical funds backing the Board’s mission to support the programs and services provided by Northwestern Memorial Hospital, including its recent $4.6 million pledge to fund comprehensive reproductive care across a woman’s lifetime.
Co-Chairs of the Summer Soiree are: Gabriela Cleveland, Emily Krall, Annie Hudson, Emily Sturgess, Ginevra Ranney, and Bridget Tully Vrabel.
Anchors Away Co-Chairs on site.
We wanted to learn more:
CC: How did the idea for the new annual fundraiser called Summer Soiree come about? Will the event differ every year?
Sarah Schrup, President of the Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
Sarah Schrup: Last year, we created a new fundraising and events committee. Its goal was to take a birds-eye view of our board’s fundraising initiatives to create a well-rounded, complementary array of opportunities to support the important work we do for the hospital. For several years the board hosted the Boogie Ball, which brought in well-known bands into intimate venues. We decided to build on the music theme, but recast it as a fresh, fun event attractive to all ages, one that would allow guests to kick off the summer by connecting with friends over drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and dancing. And from that sprung the Summer Soiree.
CC: What can guests look forward to at Anchors Aweigh?
Emily Krall: “Cocktails, delicious bites, and dancing under the stars to everyone’s favorite ‘yacht rock’ hits will make our inaugural Summer Soiree a night to remember!”
The Anchors Away band.
CC: What are you most excited about at Anchors Aweigh?
Emily Sturgess: “I am looking forward to introducing the Woman’s Board, who we are and what our mission is to a host of new guests in a really fun, creative way. It’s important that we continue the conversation on the significance of philanthropy with new people everyday. Summer Soiree is our opportunity to do just that”
CC: What inspired you to step up and chair the new inaugural event?
Emily Sturgess: “I have loved being a part of this board for the last few years and working in support of other special fundraising events we have hosted including The Chicago Show and our annual Passavant Cotillion. The women of this board work tirelessly to raise critical funds in support of the Hospital and I’m honored to be a part of it. I view co-chairing the inaugural Summer Soiree as my opportunity to give back to this board and the Hospital that we all hold so dear.”
Emily Krall: “Northwestern Memorial Hospital has played a critical role within my family for many years. When the opportunity arose within the Woman’s Board to co-chair this inaugural event, I was eager to step up. Having only been on the Board for two years now, it is an honor to be able to participate and give back in this way after all the Hospital has done for my family and countless others.”
CC: What has been the best part of planning this new event?
Emily Sturgess: “It’s been such a pleasure to work alongside my fellow co-chairs in bringing this event to life. From its early inception to our near final planning stages today, we’ve worked hard, brought fresh ideas to the table and had a ton of fun doing it! Working alongside these smart, dynamic women is a true joy.”
Annie Hudson: “We are very excited that Anchors Aweigh will kick-off Summer 2024! Most importantly, the event will spotlight the mission of the Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital and our dedication to supporting the programs and services provided by Northwestern Memorial Hospital, including those related to women’s health issues. On June 7th we look forward to bringing people from the greater Chicago area together to celebrate the work of NMH.
“One of the highlights of being on the Woman’s Board is having the privilege of working with wonderful women who I may not have had the opportunity to meet. Through the party planning process, we as co-chairs have had a great time getting to know each other.”
Ginevra Ranney: How wonderful it is to see this next generation of leadership step into the Woman’s Board with a focus on maximizing our impact as a philanthropy partner to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. And it’s just been plain fun to work with them and tagalong as they bring their vision for the event to life.”
Co-Chair Gabriela Cleveland pointed out: “While the mission of the Woman’s Board is to raise funds to support innovative programs at NMH, the Board likes to host fun events that are different than most fundraisers. For example, the Board did the Boogie Ball for years and this year’s yacht rock party will be a first.”
The very first Woman’s Board benefit was a musical play held at the home of Potter Palmer in February 1900. Tickets sold for $1.50 with proceeds equipping two operating rooms, creating a special entrance for accident cases and overhauling the hospital’s entire plumbing system. The next major event was the 1906 “Street of Paris Bazaar” held at the Chicago Coliseum which was the most successful fundraising event of its time, raising $60,000 to create an endowment for training physicians, wire the hospital with electricity and clear the hospital’s debt. Opera and Theater events, celebrity events, Cotillions, a children’s fashion show, days at the circus, a horse show, arts and antiques evenings and much more have demonstrated the Woman’s Board’s fundraising creativity over the past 127 years to support its cutting edge, committed and compassionate mission.
Summer Soiree Co-Chairs Bridget Tully Vrabel, Annie Hudson, and Emily Krall.
The Woman’s Board’s $4.6 million pledge includes: funding an expansion of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine which supports individuals and families on their paths to parenthood; an endowed fellowship which will provide patients with high-quality care in all aspects of family planning and contraception; help for patients with pelvic floor disorders, and ongoing programs such as the Woman’s HIV Program, long-supported by the Woman’s Board.
For further information about the Summer Soiree, please contact the Woman’s Board office at wbrsvp@nm.org
