CHICAGO AROUND THE WORLD connect 2019 • 93 2 5 8 3 6 1 4 7 November, 2018 Over 500 friends of Ireland gathered to celebrate The Ireland Funds 34th Annual Chicago Dinner Gala held at the Four Seasons Chicago. John Fitzpatrick, Chairman of The Ireland Funds America and Kyle Clifford, Vice President of Development of The Ireland Funds America, spoke about the mission and impact of The Ireland Funds’ work with hundreds of charitable causes and thanked the supporters of the dinner. The Ireland Funds 2018 Corporate Social Responsibility Award was presented to Medtronic. Medtronic chose The Ireland Funds as one of their philanthropic partners and have supported a diverse range of organizations across Ireland that provide services for those with dementia and Alzheimer’s; increase access to healthcare; promote women’s’ leadership initiatives and advance climate justice. Liz Lund, the Global Philanthropy Strategic Operations Director of Medtronic accepted the award. Michael O’Halleran, Chairman of The Ireland Funds Chicago Regional Advisory Committee, then presented The Ireland Funds 2018 Leadership Award to Mr. Gerald Beeson, COO of Citadel. The Ireland Funds Leadership Award is presented annually to a visionary leader and philanthropist whose individual excellence is demonstrated by outstanding initiative, impact of work, and inspiration to others. The final award of the evening—an inaugural award—was The Ireland Funds 2018 Chairman’s Award. It was presented to Thomas F. Meagher, Jr. by his wife Diane who spoke of his tireless commitment to The Ireland Funds. Tom joined the leadership of the Ireland Funds Chicago in 2006, established the Regional Advisory Committee and served as its Chair for ten years. Tom also established the Young Leaders presence in Chicago and led Chicago to be one of the fastest growing chapters in The Ireland Funds. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Executive Committee of The Ireland Funds America. The outcome of the night was outstanding. It was the most financially successful dinner in the event’s 34-year history ensuring initiatives and projects would receive the critical financial support. 34th Annual Chicago Dinner 1 Thomas E. O'Neill, Avis Jason, Kyle Clifford 2 Tom Meagher, Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Diane Meagher 3 Ed Luce, Niamh King 4 John Fitzpatrick, Sean Conroy 5 Michael Sacks 6 Harry and Andrew Hartford 7 Michael O'Halleran, Gerald Beeson, John Fitzpatrick, Kyle Clifford 8 Tom O'Neill, Ann David, Kenzie Ungar, Tom O'Neill, Jr. Photos: Dean Battaglia