Watch 12-12-12 Concert Live on Patch

The concert will benefit Hurricane Sandy victims, via the Robin Hood Foundation.

Some of the biggest names in music take the stage at Madison Square Garden for the live 12-12-12 concert for Sandy relief. While thousands of people fill the arena, billions are watching live on a variety of screens worldwide.  The concert is streaming live on television networks, movie theater screens and on the Internet, including right here on Patch. The pre-event coverage begins at 3 p.m. CST and the concert is scheduled to kick off at 6:30 p.m. The all-star lineup includes Bon Jovi, Eric Clapton, Dave Grohl, Billy Joel, Alicia Keys, Chris Martin, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Eddie Vedder, Roger Waters, Kanye West, The Who, and Paul McCartney, with other artists to be announced. Every penny sold from ticket sales will go …

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Giving Tuesday: A Chance to Give Back During the Holiday Season

Area nonprofits like Chicagoland Habitat for Humanity and Special Olympics Illinois are among those trying to encourage people to pause in their shopping and find a way to help others.

Will donating to charity ever be as popular as shopping during the holiday season? A partnership of nonprofits hopes so. For many people, the holiday shopping marathon began on Thanksgiving day, with some national chains opening their doors just hours after the traditional turkey dinner. Then comes Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday, which has morphed into Cyber Week. Now, there's a new campaign asking you to open your wallet: Giving Tuesday. The Giving Tuesday website says the effort, coming on the heels of days devoted to consumerism, is designed "to create a national day of giving at the start of the annual holiday season. It celebrates and encourages charitable activities that support nonprofit organizations." Many…

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Betsy and Sal

Charity Season Begins

Looking for an opportunity to feel philanthropic? You've got choices.

Last week we were trapped in our own driveways. It was the North Shore Half Marathon, and since the signs were only posted at every corner of every street for weeks and weeks prior to the event, and since this has been an annual event for only 33 years, naturally, it took us by surprise. Just kidding. This year, we were prepped and ready. We moved our cars at dawn so that we could actually use them and get to our own charity fun run in Elk Grove Village. Unlike the half marathon, our Foundation Fighting Blindness event covered a mere 5 kilometers. But it was enough.  ‘Tis the season for charity events. A glance at any community calendar features a veritable cornucopia of summer fun runs, half jogs, slow walks, wife carries, stair climbs, …

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Strut Your Pooch For A Good Cause w/ C.A.R.E.

Help raise money and animal awareness for C.A.R.E. on Saturday, May 12. Attendees will get to walk their dog along the beautiful sculpture park on McCormick Boulevard and socialize with other animal lovers for a good cause.

It’s time you bring out your pooch for a good cause! On Saturday, May 12 at 9 a.m., join animal lovers throughout Chicagoland for the 17th annual Strut for Strays, hosted by C.A.R.E. The event is a volunteer-run community animal rescue effort. Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl will also be present. You do not need a dog to attend. This annual fundraiser brings the C.A.R.E. community and their dogs together for a three-mile morning walk. The Strut course starts at Ladd Arboretum on McCormick Boulevard, and meanders along the beautiful Sculpture Park to Dempster Street and then back to the Arboretum. Connect with Evanston Patch on Facebook. In addition to the walk, participants can look forward to the Doggie Carnival, hot coffee, snacks and …

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NU's Dance Marathon Raised Record $1.1 Million

More than 900 dancers participated in the annual event that supports the fight against childhood cancer.

Northwestern University's Dance Marathon had its best year yet, raising $1,107,670 during it's 30-hour dance-a-thon last week. More than 900 students danced the hours away, with 1,000 people coming to watch, according to the organizers. At the end of the 30 hours, the group gave a check for $717,770 to The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation, which fights childhood cancer, and another check for $79,752 to the Evanston Community Foundation. Related: Organizers prepping for annual Dance Marathon, hoping to raise $1 million. The event is the culmination of a 10-month fundraising campaign by Northwestern students. Stay up to date on the latest Evanston happenings by liking our Facebook page.

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Knitting Group Donates Year's Work to Evanston Families

The Infant Welfare Society of Evanston's “Adopt-a-Family” program received over 160 pieces of hand-knitted garb.

On Christmas morning, families in need across Evanston opened presents of hand-knit clothing, all thanks to a small group of dedicated knitters at a Wilmette retirement community. For the holidays, members of the knitting group at the Mather Place of Wilmette donated over 160 pieces of hand-knit, cold-weather gear to the Infant Welfare Society of Evanston, a local nonprofit offering family support services. The goods were used to supplement the nonprofit’s “Adopt-a-Family” program, in which one Evanston family assists with the specific needs of another Evanston family, whether that entails buying food, clothing, furniture or individualized Christmas presents. “Mather contacted me, saying, ‘We have all of these knitted hats and scarves that…

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Patch Portrait

Share Your Soles

This week's Patch Portraits also feature Oak Park's homeless advocate and Deerfield's new chef.

This week's Patch Portraits feature a homeless advocate from Oak Park who has more than 1,600 followers on Twitter and a Deerfield chef cooking up community as he returns to his hometown. When Blake Helton had to think of an Eagle Scout project, his first idea was to run.  Not away from the responsibility but for a cause.  On July 23, Blake will host a 5k fun run and walk at Niles West High School to benefit Share Your Soles, a charity that sends used shoes overseas to people who have none. “I had the idea to do a 5k because I run myself. I’m a track athlete and cross county runner. I figured why not put my two passions together, scouting and running,” said Helton. Helton had the idea to look for an organization that collects shoes because…

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George Slefo

11:47 am on Wednesday, June 29, 2011

If you'd like to donate your old shoes or for more information, click here: www.flylikeaneagle5k.org   more ›

Get Out! Your Weekend Planner

This weekend, enjoy anything from a spaghetti dinner to a symphony orchestra.

Feature Film: The Kids Are Alright February 17 7:00 p.m. FREE The Morton Grove Public Library is proud to present a free screening of the recent film, “The Kids Are Alright” followed by a discussion of the movie’s themes including homosexual parenting, midlife crisis, and children of sperm donors seeking out biological parents. Thodos Dance Chicago February 19 8:00 p.m. $46 Skokie’s North Shore Center for Performing Arts is partnering with Broadway performer and choreographer Ann Reinking and Artistic director Melissa Thodos for a unique show performed to live music by the Carpe Diem String Quartet. Ars Viva Presents Pianist Lori Kaufman February 20 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. $40-70 Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Maestro Alan …

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Blackhawks Bring Holiday Cheer to Evanston Hospital

Four NHL players hand out gifts, visit with ill youngsters.

Four Chicago Blackhawks players visited NorthShore University Health System's Evanston Hospitalon  Tuesday afternoon, handing out gifts and visiting with sick children. Marty Turco, John Scott, Bryan Bickell and Viktor Stalberg went from room to room, chatting with families, signing pucks and passing out some of the 500 gifts that were donated by fans at the Hawks' Dec. 5 home game. NorthShore and the Blackhawks have partnered for charitable events in the past, including last year's toy drive and a special Stanley Cup hospital visit earlier this year, following the Hawks' championship victory. The Blackhawks held two other donation nights on Dec. 3 and 8. Those toys will be donated to the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots program and …

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Evanston Woman to Run Chicago Marathon for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

Betsy Katten will run the Chicago Marathon Sunday to raise money for charity.

On Sunday, Evanston resident Betsy Katten will run the Chicago Marathon for a second time.  She's running to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society with a group called Team in Training. The cause hits close to home for Katten, who lost her older sister to Lukemia in 2002.  Katten ran her first Chicago Marathon in 2008 to raise money for cancer research, and will do the same again this year. "Last time I ran it, especially since it was my first one, I thought a lot about my sister, Pam," Katten said.  "I think being part of Team in Training is what keeps me going, for all the people who have confronted cancer and for all the people who will." She said she has been training by running through Evanston and into the city.  She'll do…

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