Midtown-Metro Reaches Further at the 35th Annual Reach for Excellence Gala
For thirty-five years, the Reach for Excellence Awards Gala has brought together friends and partners of Midtown-Metro Achievement Centers, and this year's gala, held November 2 at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, offered guests plenty of reasons to celebrate.
Guided by the theme “Reach Further,” the night spotlighted the truth that a child's potential grows every time a caring community offers guidance, encouragement and tangible opportunities to reach toward their goals. Guests and sponsors answered that call, helping to contribute over $950,000 to fuel the after-school and summer programs that help students in grades 3 through 12 grow in both academic excellence and character.
NBC 5 Chicago’s Regina Waldroup (emcee) & friends of Midtown-Metro
Regina Waldroup of NBC 5 Chicago, a friend of Midtown-Metro, set a warm and welcoming tone as emcee, greeting the room and saluting this year’s two honorees Scott Magnesen and Dr. Stephen Gryzlo. Everyone paused for a moment of reflection when Executive Director Emeritus Glenn Wilke shared memories of Patricia “Pat” Jorndt and Fernando Arias, two cherished members of the Midtown-Metro family we lost recently, with Rev. Mark Mannion, pastor at St. Mary of the Angels Parish, leading everyone in a prayer.
When the program resumed after dinner, the debut of a new mission video set the stage for Executive Director Vince Meno, who opened his remarks with a shout-out to Nathan, a young man featured in the film, and to his mother, Vanessa, who were both seated in the audience. He shared about Midtown-Metro’s CHAMP approach of Character, High expectations, Academics, Mentoring and Parent support, and the results he described spoke for themselves.
Executive Director Emeritus Glenn Wilke
Executive Director, Vince Meno, interviewing our alumni presenters
Scott Magnesen & Laryssa Olmeda
For the 27th consecutive year, every Midtown and Metro senior graduated and was accepted into a four-year college. Students also earned their highest score on record on the independent Character Growth Index, which measures growth against peers in 32 states and nine countries, and two out of three students tested over the summer improved in STEM and English Language Arts.
Looking ahead, Vince reminded guests that thousands more children across Chicago share the same promise as our students, and he announced that Midtown-Metro will soon launch a multi-year campaign to expand its programs and reach them. He then welcomed two alumni whose stories brought the theme of the night to life, Laryssa Olmeda, a Metro graduate studying animation at DePaul University, and Isaac Rico, a Midtown graduate pursuing civil engineering at the University of Illinois Chicago. Their stories gave guests a firsthand look at where a Midtown-Metro experience can lead and drew some of the warmest applause of the evening.
Music and movement were also prominent as each honoree was celebrated with a performance curated especially for them. In honor of Scott Magnesen and his wife, Lynn, passionate ballroom dancers, professional dancers all the way from Poland, Jakub Sawicki and Dagmara Milek, swept across the stage in a graceful ballroom routine. Scott, a Senior Portfolio Managing Director at Morgan Stanley and a longtime friend of Midtown-Metro, then accepted his award presented by Laryssa.
A spirited dance, complete with Chicago Cubs costumes, was performed by students from Metro Achievement Center in honor of co-awardee Dr. Stephen M. Gryzlo, Head Team Physician for the Chicago Cubs and Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, who grew up on Chicago’s West Side and has returned several times to share his story with our boys and girls. Each honoree offered heartfelt remarks that reminded the room how much a caring mentor can mean in a young person’s life.
Generosity then took center stage during the paddle auction led by Jason Lamoreaux of Lamoreaux & Associates. Energized by a $100,000 matching gift that multiplied the impact of every pledge, guests raised their paddles with enthusiasm and helped make the night a resounding success. Each paddle raised in the ballroom helped Midtown-Metro welcome more young people and give them the individual attention and encouragement that can change the course of a life.
If the evening proved anything, it is that remarkable things happen when people choose to invest in a child. As Vince told guests, “Every child who reaches further does so because someone reached out first.” There are many ways to be that someone, whether you lend your time as a volunteer or make a year-end gift toward our campaign goal of $1 million that will carry the spirit of “Reach Further” into the months and years ahead.
Students from Metro Achievement Center perform in honor of Dr. Gryzlo
Dr. Gryzlo accepts his award from Isaac Rico