The HOPE Board of the Northwestern Memorial Foundation Hosts Annual Fundraising Auction

The HOPE Board, a committee of the Northwestern Memorial Foundation, will host its fourth annual Egg-Stravaganza fundraising auction at the Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Arts (1012 N. Dearborn, Chicago, IL) on May 11, 2006 from 6 to 8 p.m. The silent auction will feature 30 hand-painted ostrich eggs donated by local artists. Proceeds will benefit the Women’s Program of the HIV Center at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

Renowned artists from the Chicagoland area generously donated their time and their talent to transform each egg into a work of art. Artists include Darlene Crampton-Fahrenkrog, Dee Dee Spence, Mark McMahon, Greg Mejia and several others.

"The art community has been greatly affected by HIV/AIDS, so I am honored to create a piece of art for a cause that helps provide care to those affected by the disease and prevent its spread to innocent victims," said Greg Mejia, a local Chicago artist participating in the Egg-Stravaganza for the fourth year. "The inspiration for this year's egg comes from paintings I've done featuring the Indiana and Michigan dunes. The shape of the egg allowed me to paint a panorama that flows from one view to the other."

“Eggs represent new birth and hope, so the Egg-Stravaganza is a beautiful way for the HOPE Board, the artists and the incredibly supportive community to deliver our message of hope to the women in the HIV clinic,” said Ruth Kinsey, HOPE Board Member. “The ostrich eggs are a wonderful shape and provide our artists with a very creative surface to work with.”

The eggs will be on public display in select Oak Street shop windows in the weeks leading up to the auction. For more information about the HOPE Board and the Egg-Stravaganza auction, call 312-926-7133.

About the HOPE Board of the Northwestern Memorial Foundation:

Founded in 1999, HOPE was created to exclusively support the Women’s Program of the HIV Center at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Originally funded through a generous five-year grant from the Women’s Board, the program has established both clinical and research opportunities to provide care to HIV-positive women. Among the great successes of the program is the tremendous reduction in the rate of neonatal HIV infection, dropping from 30% in the mid 1980s to zero in the last eight years. The name HOPE is used to express the committee’s mission to provide Hope, Optimism, Perseverance, and Encouragement.

Media Contact:

Molly Rabinovitz, Media Relations Associate
312-926-9632
mrabinov@nmh.org