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homerhorizon.com NEWS
the Homer Horizon | March 15, 2018 | 9
Homer man leads planning for Cruise for a Cause
Upcoming event will
be large fundraiser
for Sertoma Centre
Thomas Czaja, Editor
When Mitch Zeiler was a
student at Lockport Township
High School, he began
to get involved with Best
Buddies and coaching for
the Special Olympics.
The Homer Glen resident
enjoyed his time with both,
getting to make a difference
for those with intellectual
and developmental
disabilities. After college,
he knew he wanted to stay
involved.
Now, as part of Sertoma
Centre’s Associate Board,
he is continuing his involvement
in a big way, planning
a large summer fundraiser
for the nonprofit agency
headquartered in Alsip that
provides for more than 1,200
individuals with intellectual
and/or developmental disabilities
and those living
with mental illness, according
to its website.
Zeiler was the one who
came up with the idea of
renting the Anita Dee 2
yacht to host a cruise on
Lake Michigan. The vessel
— which can hold up
to 450 people — will have
appetizers, drinks and live
entertainment for the event,
which is to be held Saturday,
June 23. Guests will board at
7:30 p.m. for an 8 p.m. departure.
The grand finale of
Navy Pier fireworks will occur
at 10 p.m., and the ship
will return at 11 p.m.
From there, guests have
the option of attending an
after party at The Underground
Chicago, a nightclub
in River North. The cost is
$100 for everything and has
transportation from the ship
to the club and VIP admission
fee to the club accounted
for. All of the proceeds
will benefit Sertoma Centre
and its mission.
“The $100 gets you allyou-can-drink
[on the ship],”
Zeiler said. “It’s top shelf —
Patrón, CÎROC, Grey Goose
— it’s 21 and up and cocktail
attire required. We wanted to
give a higher class look and
feel.”
The glitz and sophistication
will be nice, but the underlying
reason for the event
is the key. Zeiler said he
never knew that when an individual
with special needs
turns 22 they are required to
leave high school, and that
the state no longer provides
for the individual’s education.
Where Sertoma comes
in is with further integral
lessons to be self-sufficient,
whether teaching those with
special needs or those with
intellectual and developmental
disabilities how to
cook or clean for themselves
or about finding jobs and
housing.
“We wanted to create the
best event we could to help,”
Zeiler said. “Chicago’s largest
charity event of 2018.”
Helping lead this endeavor
with him is Lisa Molloy,
special events manager for
Sertoma, whose role incorporates
all of the nonprofit’s
fundraisers, as well as serving
as a liaison to the Associate
Board, she said.
She has been thrilled with
the idea for the fundraiser
and Mitch’s enthusiasm for
the undertaking.
“This idea is not something
we’ve ever done before,”
Molloy said of the
yacht and festivities. “We
talked about it in the past,
but it never came to fruition.
Mitch is a definite go-getter
that came running out of the
gate and is doing a great job
with sponsorships and really
wants to amp it up and have
it be an elegant, but very fun,
event for people to attend.”
There is a clear goal Zeiler
has in mind for the event,
The Cruise for a Cause fundraiser will take place on the Anita Dee 2, which holds 450 people, and will feature drinks,
appetizers and live entertainment. Organizer Mitch Zeiler hopes to raise approximately $40,000 to $50,000 from the event.
Photos submitted
aiming for the $40,000 to
$50,000 range in the total
brought in. The 2011 LTHS
grad, who recently turned
25, hopes along with Molloy
that those funds will
benefit multiple areas of
need going forward, including
targeting capital
projects and providing for
different programs. This
could materialize in ways
from getting iPads for the
autism program so they can
use technology and incorporate
it into programming,
to the hopeful building of a
new community integrated
living home for about six
individuals with disabilities
with a house manager that
oversees the property and
makes sure everything is
taken care of.
The 14-day programs,
which could benefit throughout
Sertoma, teach the aforementioned
everyday living
skills and also include
things like learning about
going shopping and making
change.
“For the event itself, it’s
just exciting to bring some
younger people and involve
them and expose them to the
challenges individuals with
disabilities face,” Molloy
said.
Molloy echoed Zeiler in
that they help provide muchneeded
services to those in
need after they graduate high
school. She added Zeiler is
even hoping popular musicians
or DJs will come to the
Cruise for a Cause and give
of their time and talent.
“Hopefully, it’s going to
be more like going to a red
carpet event and have kind
of like a photo op, paparazzi
backdrop, greeted with
champagne,” Molloy said.
“Kind of out of our regular
norm.
“It’s just going to be a lot
of fun. We are super excited
to bring Mitch’s vision to
life.”
Zeiler summed up what
the cruise — and work of
Sertoma as a whole — will
do, if all goes as planned.
“Create endless opportunities
for those in need,”
Zeiler said.
For more information
and to purchase tickets,
visit www.sertomacentre.
org/cruise. Those interested
can also contact Zeiler with
questions at (708) 408-5779
or email mitch@zeiler.com.
Homer Glen resident Mitch Zeiler, a 2011 Lockport
Township High School graduate, is currently planning
Cruise for a Cause for Sertoma Centre, a nonprofit agency
serving those with intellectual and/or developmental
disabilities.