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Bid at Marklund’s 14th Annual Top Hat Ball

The live auction items are flooding in for Marklund’s 14^th Annual Top Hat Ball – “Celebrate Chinese New Year,” at 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010, at Navy Pier’s historic Grand Ballroom, 600 E. Grand Ave., Chicago. Proceeds will benefit Marklund and its compassionate care of infants, children and adults with severe developmental disabilities. Live auction items include:

• Twelve day Seabourn Yacht Cruise for two to Asia with airfare, valued at nearly $30,000
• Chicago Cubs rooftop and Chicago Bears’ skybox combo
• Build-your-own luxury vacation for four in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, with choices of activities such as skiing with Billy Kidd, snowmobiling, snowboarding, fly fishing, hot air ballooning, glider and sleigh rides, hot springs, and more
• Master’s tickets for two with hotel, air and hospitality house tickets
• Oprah tickets for two with overnight accommodations and dinner
• Master sommelier Alpana Singh, host of WTTW’s “Check Please,” has donated a bottle of one of her favorites, a Krug Champagne, Grand Cuvee, along with a personal note.
• Eight-night Disney vacation for six with airfare and stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge
• Instant wine cellar:  better than ever this year with over 150 of the finest bottles
• Costa Rica vacation for two with airfare
• Napa Valley winery experience
• Weekend for two at the 2011 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles
• Golf trip for two to Ireland with hotel and airfare
• And many more…

The auction is chaired by Stacey Alexander of Plainfield and Sue Wick of Lombard.  

Auctioneer David Goodman of Chicago’s Auction Results will keep things lively. The 12-day Asian cruise is for two aboard the Seabourn Pride, a yacht that accommodates just 104 couples, and was donated by Seabourn and Viking Travel Agency. Named the #1 Small Ship Cruise Line in the world in the prestigious Condé Nast Readers’ Choice Awards 2009 and also named Best Floating Hotels by Gourmet Magazine, Seabourn yachts present a style that is the ultimate in luxury.

The Disney trip features luncheon for six at Cinderella’s Royal Table with the Royal Family at Walt Disney World, a tour of Cinderella’s Castle, complimentary photographs and autographs with Cinderella and her princess friends. This item includes four airline tickets from Chicago to Orlando and eight nights in a two-bedroom villa that sleeps up to nine, at Kidani Village at Animal Kingdom Lodge overlooking the savannah. It takes place from June 27 through July 5^th over the popular Fourth of July holiday.

Chaired by Mike and Carol Donahue of Geneva, the Top Hat Ball will include authentic Chinese dancers from the Chinese American Service League in Chinatown, musicians from the Chinese Fine Arts Society, and traditional Lion and Dragon dances from Chicago Dragon’s Athletic Association. There will be fine dining with some traditions of the Chinese culture, dancing to the Al Sofia Orchestra, the presentation of Marklund’s “Friends of the Year” award to George and Pam Rion of Bloomingdale, and of course the exceptional live auction. Although a black tie gala, many guests are planning to attend in “Chinese couture.”

Tickets are $300 per person. Table sponsorship opportunities and discounted packages are available. To reserve tickets or for more information, call Jeannine Zupo, Top Hat Ball director, at 630-624-9874 or email to: jzupo@marklund.org

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