Evanston Green Ball organizers say ticket sales are on pace to sell out for the second consecutive year, so people should reserve a spot quickly to help support the city's only community center devoted to educating the public about the environment.
The Third Annual Green Ball, hosted by the Evanston Environmental Association (EEA) and the City of Evanston, will feature a first this year: Grammy Award-winning musicians will take the stage to help raise money for the Ecology Center on its 40th birthday.
Evanston’s premier environmental event is 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday, May 30, at the Levy Center, 300 Dodge Ave., Evanston. All proceeds support the Ecology Center’s programs and operations. As the center turns 40, it is in need of upgrades to its classroom space and a popular animal-viewing area that is home to a prairie dog, snakes and even Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches.
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"The Ecology Center has been an invaluable institution in our community for four decades, and there’s no better way to ensure its continued success than to attend the Green Ball,” EEA Board President Rick Nelson said.
Tickets are $75. People can reserve a spot at the ball at www.evanstonenvironment.org/greenball.html, or by paying by cash or check at the Ecology Center, 2024 McCormick Blvd.
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"Friend of the Ecology Center" tickets are also available at $100 each, and purchasers of those tickets will be listed in the event program, according to the EEA, the nonprofit organization that supports the Ecology Center. All tickets include food, drinks and live entertainment. Wine can be purchased separately.
The 2014 Green Ball will feature:
• Live music from the reggae band Gizzae, which includes Grammy Award-winning artists;
• The “Taste of Evanston”-- delicious food from the best local restaurants, caterers and green grocers, including LYFE Kitchens, Farmhouse, Tomate Fresh Kitchens and Whole Foods Market;
• Drinks from Green River, Goose Island and Sips on Sherman (formerly WineStyles Evanston);
• Eco-fashions from local designers and a showcase of Evanston’s best green groups;
• One-of-a-kind "packaged" raffle prizes.
The focus of this year’s Green Ball is to celebrate the Evanston Ecology Center's 40 years as the area's top resource for programs that promote the environment. That includes plant and animal classes, popular eco-summer camps, and fun events, such as bird-watching canoe trips and an eco-Halloween party for children.
Green Ball sponsors include the Archer-Patterson Family Foundation, Autobarn of Evanston, Citizens' Greener Evanston, Evanston Subaru in Skokie, Roberts Architects and Construction, Whole Foods, the Evanston Roundtable, Goose Island Beer Co., Green River, Natural Awakenings, Nature’s Perspective Landscaping, Sips on Sherman, and WinSol Power Company.
