On Wednesday night, the Signature Room at the 95th hosted its Table of 12 Gala. The event served as a kickoff for this year's Charity of the Month program, whereby one nonprofit organization will receive a portion of the restaurant's proceeds each month. "The object of the event was to bring together all 12 organizations" that will benefit from the 2010 program, said Signature Room marketing manager Gail Banaszak.
The gala's 350-guest crowd comprised invitees of each charity—Banaszak said that each group aimed to bring in about 30 guests—as well as Signature Room clients and locals who stumbled across ads for the happening in newspapers and magazines. "The gala is a great excuse to get out on an evening in mid-January," Banaszak said. "When we're all trying to beat the winter blues, the idea of throwing on cocktail attire and coming out to support 12 causes is very appealing.
"We try to keep the evening as fluid as possible, which tends to be a breath of fresh air in the gala world," Banaszak continued. "There's no plated dinner, there are no speeches, and it's not a sit-down event. We want to make the event mobile, and to keep people moving we tend to have a crazy fun theme that lends itself to several different areas."
This year's theme, "A Fantasy of Gardens," played out in three zones with decor from Meetinghouse Companies, Inc. At one end of the restaurant, an area dubbed the Rose Garden held flowery topiary and a petal-strewn fountain. In an adjoining area, an Alice in Wonderland theme translated into silken butterflies, animal-shaped hedges, and a wall of crooked mirrors. In the Zen-Garden, glowing red lanterns hung from the ceiling, and guests sat on pillows surrounding low, candlelit tables.
In each area, food and beverage reflected the theme of the surroundings. In the first room, a "Rose Garden" cocktail blended raspberry liqueur with champagne, and a buffet in the Alice in Wonderland area offered whimsical snacks such as cakes topped with pink frosting rosettes. In the Zen Garden, an oversize Buddha statue sat peacefully atop a sushi buffet.
The event cost $75 to $80 a head, and proceeds from ticket sales will be evenly distributed among: the Junior Council of Children's Memorial Hospital, Step Up Women's Network, Big Shoulders Fund, Autism Training Center at Giant Steps Illinois, LES Turner ALS Foundation, The Chicago Lighthouse, Chicago Architecture Foundation, Friends of the Parks, Abraham Lincoln Centre, Kids Fight Cancer, Lakeview Pantry, and Providence St. Mel School.
