Come Glow with Us!
Please join us on Thursday, May 28th at 5:30pm for a wonderful evening celebrating Friends of the Parks, and especially our amazing 50 years of growing and protecting Chicago’s parks.
Enjoy cocktails, dinner, and dancing inside the beautiful Café Brauer and on its gorgeous terrace, with views of the Lincoln Park Zoo and downtown under the starry sky. Join together with other passionate supporters of all our treasured green spaces.
Grow & Glow is the capstone to our 50th anniversary Branch Out & Grow campaign, engaging all of Chicago to create a green future for generations to come.
Put on your dancing shoes and dress to sparkle, shine and glow with us for a wonderful night!
Become a Sponsor!
Grow & Glow is our flagship event, which this year will be a celebration of our 50th anniversary year. It honors our roots while planting seeds for a greener, more inclusive future. With your support, we can strengthen our work and ensure that parks remain a vital resource for future generations.
Email growandglow@fotp.org to learn more about becoming a Grow & Glow event sponsor.
Thank You to our Generous Sponsors
Canopy Circle
Robert Feitler
Susan Schwartz
Pathway Leader
Lauren Moltz and John Clement
Dellora A. and Lester J. Norris Foundation
Nancy Juda and Jens Brasch
Leaf Sponsor
Fred Bates and Ellen Benjamin
Alicia Pond
Bench Sponsor
Anonymous
Faye Blake
Kitty and Jim Mann
Root Sponsor
Jim Clement
Linda Corby and Frank Beal
Thurman Foreman
Debra Hammond and Jack Spicer
Gloria and Daniel Kearney
Bronwyn Nichols Lodato and Raymond Lodato
Serge JC Pierre-Louis
David and Judith Sensibar
Deborah and Harvey Strauss
Paul Boyd and Kathy Dunne
Seed Sponsor
Pat Ballman
DuSable Heritage Association
Diane Heller
Chevy Humphrey
Sophia Haroutunian-Gordon
Jewell Events Catering
Pete Leki
Sheldon Lyke
Troy McMillan
Brenda Nelms and John Craig
Franklin Nussbaum
Janet Reali
Revolution Brewing - Brewery & Taproom
Erma Tranter
Sigmund Richard Pincus and Jan Linn
Daniel Casey and Dolores Connolly
Thomas Mulvihill
Will Forrest and Mark Smithe
Carol Gittler
*as of 2/4/2026
A Year to Bloom!
Grow & Glow is the finale to our year-long Branch Out & Grow campaign. The anniversary celebrations span from August 2025 through May 2026 and feature a series of events aimed at engaging the public and honoring longstanding advocates of the park’s movement.
Looking to the Future
As Friends of the Parks embarks on its next chapter, the “Branch Out & Grow” campaign is a reminder of the transformative power of community and collective action. By investing in parks, the organization also invests in stronger communities and a healthier planet.
Join Friends of the Parks as we celebrate our 50 years and take the first steps toward an even greener future. Together, let’s branch out and grow!
For more information contact branchout@fotp.org