Books & Brunch in Doings Trend

Books & Brunch scores for readers

January 10, 2012 12:28PM

Co-chairs Meg Cooper of Burr Ridge and Maureen Hegarty of Hinsdale | Photo by Scott Hardesty

Event:
Books & Brunch

Benefiting:
Assistance League of Chicagoland West

Attended:
370

Raised:
$75,000

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Updated: January 13, 2012 10:29AM

The Assistance League of Chicagoland West held their annual Books & Brunch event on Nov. 8.

With attendance topping the 370 mark for the first time in Books & Brunch’s 15-year history, the Abbington in Glen Ellyn expanded the main ballroom to accommodate the crowd that filed in on a raw and rainy day to meet and hear presentations by authors Melanie Benjamin, Marcus Sakey and Luis Urrea.

Authors continue to show strong support for the organization, whose mission involves helping families and children in DuPage and western Cook counties.

This year’s ALCW signature event raised over $75,000 to benefit three main philanthropies. Operation School Bell gave coats, hats and gloves to over 1,600 children in 22 schools this fall. The Operation Early Reading backpack program is serving 700 Head Start and kindergarten students who take home ALCW-donated reading materials on a rotating basis throughout the school year. Operation New Start has delivered 28 kitchen kits valued at $400 since June to families moving from transitional housing to independent living.

Books & Brunch co-chairs were Maureen Hegarty of Hinsdale and Meg Cooper of Burr Ridge. NBC-Channel 5 newscaster Dick Johnson once again served as master of ceremonies.

Hinsdale-based Assistance League of Chicagoland West is one of 122 chapters in the National Assistance League and the only one operating in Illinois.

For more information, go to www.alcw.org or call (630) 321-2529.

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