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homerhorizon.com life & arts
the Homer Horizon | May 18, 2017 | 21
HGJWC art auction comes to Embers
Amanda Del Buono
Freelance Reporter
From an electric guitar
autographed by Jimmy Buffet
to signed and dated Marc
Chagall pieces of artwork,
more than 130 pieces of artwork
and music and sports
memorabilia were on auction
Friday, May 12, at Embers
Tap House in Lockport.
The Homer Glen Junior
Woman’s Club hosted its
first art auction, titled Art
With Heart, with the help
of Azalea Fundraising Auctions,
a national auctioning
company that assists nonprofits
in their fundraising
efforts, according to Bob
Romeo, Azalea Fundraising
owner and auctioneer.
Azalea reached out to the
HGJWC offering its fundraising
services and supplied
all of the artwork and memorabilia
on display, including
a piece that was donated as a
raffle item.
“I just love connecting
with people,” Romeo said.
“This gives me the opportunity
to meet people from
all walks of life, and I get to
help various organizations
… People think of fundraisers,
and they think of giving
large amounts of money, and
some of them are that way.
… But a lot of times, there’s
grassroots organizations
that just need to raise a little
money to get by.”
Karen Hill-Davis, president
of the HGJWC, said
that the organization has
been trying to do different
events in the past year since
she became president, noting
that it hosted a ladies’
night out sip-and-shop event
for the first time earlier this
year, as well.
“We’re trying to get more
interest from people, get
members active and get the
community interested in
what we’re doing,” she said.
Each year, the HGJWC
selects one local organization
and one national organization
from nominations
for which it fundraises
throughout the year. The art
auction was the final fundraiser
to benefit this year’s
organizations: Court Appointed
Special Advocates
of Will County and GiGi’s
Playhouse Down Syndrome
Achievement Center.
According to its website,
CASA’s mission is to provide
trained volunteers to
advocate for abused and neglected
children in the court
system, helping to provide
information to the court and
“develop a more effective
juvenile court process.”
CASA of Will County
board members were present
at the art event. Meg
Dworsky, a resident of New
Lenox, and Niveditha Rajagopalan,
an Orland Park resident,
said CASA was appreciative
of the support it has
received from the HGJWC
this past year.
“We’re honored and
couldn’t think of a better organization
to have them support,”
Dworsky said.
“We’re really appreciative
and thankful,” Rajagopalan
added.
With her eye on a set of
autographed tennis balls,
Latonya Williams, a Mokena
resident, attended the art
auction in order to support
CASA.
“Anything that supports
the community and children
in the community, I am all
for,” Williams said. “How
can you not get behind
something like that?”
GiGi’s Playhouse is a network
of Down Syndrome
centers that operate throughout
the country, according to
its website.
“GiGi’s Playhouse Down
Lauren Tetrick places a piece of art onto an easel for display Friday, May 12, during the Homer Glen Junior Woman’s Club
Art With Heart fundraiser at Embers Tap House in Lockport. Photos by Adam Jomant/22nd Century Media
Syndrome Achievement Center’s
mission is to change the
way the world views Down
Syndrome through national
campaigns, educational programs
and by empowering
individuals with Down Syndrome,
their families and the
community,” according to the
website.
Proceeds from the art auction
will be split between
CASA and GiGi’s Playhouse,
and a small portion
goes toward the HGJWC to
help with operating costs,
Tetrick said.
“We just want to raise as
much money as possible,”
she said.
The HGJWC plans to continue
to find new and different
opportunities to connect
with the local community.
“Our mission is to give
back to the community
and to help those that are
in need,” Hill-Davis said.
Bob Romeo, of Azalea Fundraising Auctions, talks to Niveditha Rajagopalan (left) and Meg
Dworsky about a piece of art.
“Also, to form an area for
women to get together, not
only to help others, but to
learn about others and to
enjoy diversity and to embrace
what brings us together,
not what takes us apart,
and educate others … We’re
trying to really integrate
ourselves with Homer Glen
as it becomes more of an established
community, where
we have been part of the
chamber. Certainly, we’re
going to play a great role
with the Chamber of Commerce
and will do more
with the Village.”