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SHOP FOR A CAUSE
On November 1, the Club of Hearts hosts its annual Revel fundraiser at North Shore Country Club, offering shoppers an opportunity to purchase unique items and support a worthy charity.
BY MITCH HURST THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND
Savvy shoppers can begin checking things off their holiday list November 1 at the second annual Club of Hearts Revel fundraising boutique—featuring a broad array of jewelry, clothing, charcuterie boards, knitted hats, nuts, and chocolate.
The event benefits Fill a Heart for Kids, a Lake Forest-based charity that supports the needs of homeless and foster children. The organization provides kids with meals, school supplies, winter clothing, gift cards, holiday gifts, and additional necessities to help them thrive in what are difficult situations.
Club of Hearts was founded in 2020 by five women who were all involved in charitable causes but who wanted to support smaller organizations that are having a strong impact. After a slow start due to the pandemic, the organization held its first Revel fundraiser last year and raised just over $111,000 for Enchanted Backpack, a Chicago-based nonprofit that provides the tools kids need to successfully learn in school.
“It's a group that every year picks a different partner to do service for and to raise funds for. That's what makes it fun for those of us who are members because we’re learning about all these cool, smaller charities that have been vetted,” says Missy Burger, co-chair of this year’s fundraiser and one of 90 members of Club of Hearts. “They're bona fide smaller charities that just kind of need a little extra help.”
Club of Hearts’ giving model allows members to quickly see the impact they are having. Burger says it’s great to watch kids’ eyes light up and amazing to be able to share members’ talents and resources in a way that benefits children. The organization gets as much benefit from giving time and money as the kids do in receiving them.
Members of the organization come from all corners of the Chicago region, including the North Shore. They have regular meetings on Zoom and have quarterly meetings around the Chicago Metro area. It’s structured fairly loosely. There aren’t layers of committees and subcommittees; it’s all one big collective effort to carry out the mission.
“We try to move our meetings around. We Zoom a lot of meetings just because it is hard when some people are so far away,” Burger says. “We go as far as Naperville to the west, and in addition to the North Shore, have members from Western Springs, Arlington Heights, and the southern suburbs.”
Burger says one of the aspects about the Revel event she likes the best is that it is about more than just shopping. There is a communal feel to it. For the $25 admission fee, shoppers get wine and small plates, so they tend to hang out and chat.
“Our event is one of the first of the holiday season, so we come out of the gate hot. It's only one day, so that's nice for the vendors that they can set up and not be there for days,” Burger says. “It is a very community, fellowship kind of shopping. Last year, people told us, ‘That was so great. We really enjoyed the whole experience of this event versus typical boutique shopping’.”
For more information and to purchase ticket for Revel, visit clubofhearts.com.
