The Little Company of Mary Hospital (LCMH) Foundation will host the 30th Annual Crystal Heart Ball on Sat., Feb. 1 at the Field Museum.
The Venerable Mary Potter Humanitarian Award will be presented to Patrick Elwood. The award honors individuals whose personal and professional accomplishments embody the ideas, vision and mission of Venerable Mary Potter, who founded the Little Company of Mary Sisters in 1877.
Elwood, a Little Company of Mary baby alum, was a Master of Ceremonies for the Crystal Heart Ball since 2012. Since 2013, he has been a general assignment reporter for WGN-TV News. Prior to joining WGN-TV, Elwood worked for major TV and radio stations in Houston, Corpus Christi, Oklahoma City and Milwaukee before returning to his hometown of Chicago. His career highlights include covering the White Sox World Series, two Blackhawks Championships, the Bears Super Bowl and the Oklahoma City Bombing, for which he earned a Peabody Award.
Elwood lives in Chicago with his wife Katie, where they have raised four children. While Elwood is well known for his work reporting on TV news, he credits his biggest accomplishment as the work he’s done with the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, for which he, along with thousands of Chicago school kids, has raised more than $12 million for pediatric cancer research.
Following the suicide of his nephew, fire fighter Lt. Ryan Elwood in 2015, Elwood and his wife founded RE; ACT, an organization that helps fire fighters and other first responders in need of mental health services and emotional assistance. RE; ACT stands for Ryan Elwood; Awareness, Counseling and Training Fund for First Responders.
Proceeds from the 30th Annual Crystal Heart Ball will benefit the Emergency Department Modernization Project at LCMH. LCMH broke ground on this project in Aug. 2019 and it is slated to take two years to complete. The project will feature a renovated emergency department with improved efficiency and patient throughput and will use environmentally-friendly materials that will enhance patient privacy and safety and reduce noise. The project includes a dedicated fast track area, dedicated behavioral health suite and more.
In January 2020, LCMH will be celebrating 90 years of healthcare ministry. This significant milestone will be commemorated at the Crystal Heart Ball.
A drawing will be offered at the Ball with a 1st prize luxury vacation to Bora Bora for two or $15,000; 2nd prize of $5,000; 3rd prize of $2,500; and 4th prize of $1,000. Raffle tickets are $100 each.
Crystal Heart Ball tickets are $350 per person. Guests also may purchase a Diamond Table for $10,000, a Heart of Gold Table for $6,500 or a Crystal Heart Table for $3,500, each offering unique benefits.
To learn more or to purchase event or raffle tickets, contact the Little Company of Mary Hospital Foundation, 708.229.5447 or www.LCMH.org/foundation.
