Midwest Regional Office :: Regional Offices :: About Us :: U.S. Fund for UNICEF

A boy in Thailand | Photo © UNICEF/HQ05-1651/Palani Mohan

500 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1000
Chicago, IL 60611
312.222.8900
312.222.8901 (fax)

STAFF | EVENTS | NEWS | ACCELERATED CHILD SURVIVAL
VOLUNTEER | BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Staff

Casey Marsh, Director
Jessica Dolan, Major Gifts Officer
Laura Geiger, Development Officer
Elisabeth Kasdorf, Development Coordinator

The Midwest Region extends a special thank you to the extraordinary volunteer leaders who serve on our Board of Directors, Board Emeriti and President’s Council.

Upcoming Events

AIDS Run & Walk Chicago

Join Team UNICEF at the AIDS Run & Walk Chicago, and get moving to raise funds for UNICEF! Enjoy a fun-filled Saturday with family, friends, and the U.S. Fund for UNICEF along Chicago’s scenic lakefront! As a member of The AIDS Foundation of Chicago’s CommunityDirect program, the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, Midwest Region will get back 100% of the funds raised by Team UNICEF and use those funds to support the lifesaving work of UNICEF. One of UNICEF’s key programmatic areas tackles the four “P’s” that guide our fight against HIV/AIDS: (1) Preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV; (2) Providing pediatric treatment; (3) Preventing infection among adolescents and young people; and (4) Protecting and supporting children affected by AIDS.

Grab your friends and family and sign up today as members of Team UNICEF!

When: Saturday, October 2, 2010

Location: Grant Park – Columbus & Balbo

Distance: 5K Run and Walk (3.1 miles) or 10K Run (6.2 miles)

Start Time: 9:55 am (Runs) / 10:00 am (Walk)

Register: Registration costs $25/registrant in advance or $30 the day of the event. To register for Team UNICEF:

Go to www.aidsrunwalk.org
Click on Register
Determine if you are a past AIDS Run & Walk Chicago participant or are new to the walk and click on the corresponding line
Complete the Participant Information Web Form
Select Join an Existing Team
Type “Team UNICEF” in the search box
Click on Join for Team UNICEF and complete you registration!

Pledges: Participants are highly encouraged to raise a minimum of $50 in pledges. Personalize your fundraising page to get the word out!

Chip-Timed Results: All participants who sign up as a runner will receive a chip on race day to record their times.

Please contact Elisabeth Kasdorf at ekasdorf@unicefusa.org for further information.

News and Past Events

Message of Hope 2010

message of hope logo April 17 was a historic night for the Midwest Regional Office of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, as its third annual Message of Hope gala successfully completed its three-year, $6.5-million goal for the Accelerated Child Survival (ACS) Initiative in sub-Saharan Africa. More than 375 guests raised over $470,000 at the event through generous corporate and individual sponsors, ticket sales, raffles, live auctions, and a paddle raise, including a net of more than $450,000 for the ACS campaign.

The evening began with a cocktail reception where guests learned more about UNICEF’s work. A "field tent" was set up in the space, allowing attendees to view and purchase (for donation) supplies and other items that are used to save and improve lives in the field—including bed nets, polio vaccines, a school-in-a-box kit and a motorcycle.

Columbia College Gospel Choir

The Columbia College Gospel Choir kicked off the entertainment with a stirring performance. They were followed by remarks from Caryl Stern, president and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, and Renee Van de Weerdt, chief of UNICEF’s Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Section. Kids from School of Rock, the nation’s premier rock music program, located in Chicago, brought the crowd to their feet with their performances. The auction was action packed, with guests bidding on a trip to Greece and Italy, a trip to Istanbul and Egypt and a one-of-a-kind sports package. Many joined in to contribute directly to the ACS campaign. Finally, everyone was on the dance floor when the band Little Big Men rocked the house.

Karen and Jon Citow

Before the night ended, Caryl Stern, along with Casey Marsh, Director of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF’s Midwest Regional, office confirmed that proceeds from the event had exceeded the $400,000 needed to reach the campaign goal. A champagne toast for all attendees and extended round of applause marked the occasion.

Chris Baldwin, managing director at Credit Suisse and sole chair for the event, put it best when he said, "this event celebrated the giving spirit of those who support the work of UNICEF. I'm honored to have been a part of such a successful evening for this incredible organization. The generosity of those who supported Message of Hope allows UNICEF to save lives around the world."

Guests dancing to the music of Little Big Men

Thanks to all of our guests and supporters, as well as to our wonderful volunteers who truly made this event possible. We would also like to give a special mention to our generous sponsors including Abbott Laboratories, Inc., Credit Suisse, Energy BBDO, Jefferies & Co., Christopher & Renee Baldwin, David & Lisa McQueary, Christine M.J. Oliver, President/CEO, Chicago Dwellings Association, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co, LLC, Paul and MaryAnn Harvey, Vince Hemmer, The Rise Group and Laura Myntti and Leif Selkregg, David and Julie Shorr, Joseph Silich, Vizioncore, Inc., Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, Weeden & Co, LP, Delta Air Lines Inc., Grey Goose Vodka and The InterContinental Hotel Chicago.

The Accelerated Child Survival Initiative

Accelerated Child Survival (ACS) is an innovative UNICEF initiative that indentifies the weak links in impoverished countries’ healthcare cycles that conspire to endanger children’s health. UNICEF works with local and national officials to target the underlying causes of these problems, and swiftly implements integrated strategies at every level, from grassroots to governments, to remove them.

ACS takes the most effective health interventions for children, newborns and pregnant women and bundles them into integrated, cost–effective packages that include childhood immunizations, vitamin A distribution, treatment of malaria, diarrhea, pneumonia and HIV/AIDS, prenatal care and support, and promotion of breastfeeding.

ACS also covers the costs of other vital supplies such as bed nets, equipment for refrigeration of medication, transportation, training and performance incentives for health staff, as well as supporting the development of health systems from the district to the national level.

The U.S. Fund for UNICEF’s Midwest Regional Office took the lead in raising the necessary funds to save and improve these children’s lives. Because every child’s life – whether in Chicago or Africa – is worth saving, the Midwest Region inaugurated our first regional campaign in January 2007 with a goal of raising $6.5 million from individual donors by June 30, 2010 to support the Accelerated Child Survival Initiative’s groundbreaking work.

By the campaign deadline the Midwest Regional Board of Directors and staff surpassed the $6.5 million campaign goal, raising over $6.7 million for Accelerated Child Survival! These funds went to provide lifesaving services to approximately 43,000 children and build permanent healthcare systems throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Thanks to the tremendous leadership of the Midwest Regional Board of Directors and generous support from countless donors, we are one step closer in seeing the day when zero children die of preventable causes.

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteering with the Midwest Regional Office of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF is a great way to inform your community about the work UNICEF does—and to get involved in helping save children’s lives around the world. With your help, we can reduce the number of children who die each day of preventable causes from 24,000 to zero.

There are many ways that you can volunteer for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF! If you are interested in volunteering locally in your community, consider conducting a UNICEF volunteer activity from our online volunteer center. The center includes several volunteer activities and resources, such as turn–key tool kits for you to use that provide step–by–step instructions for conducting awareness-building, fundraising or advocacy activities in your community, a calendar of local events and more.

To become involved in the Chicago area, consider volunteering at one of our special events. Opportunities include everything from selling raffle tickets and greeting guests to set–up assistance and auction monitors. Participating in one of our events is the perfect opportunity for you to meet new people, have a great night out with some friends and help raise funds for UNICEF!

If you are interested in volunteering with the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, Midwest Region please contact Elisabeth Kasdorf at ekasdorf@unicefusa.org.

Internship Opportunities
Interns in the Midwest Regional Office assist with everything from the planning of special events to research projects. Internships can be done for college course credit during summer, fall/winter and spring sessions. If interested, please forward a resume and cover letter to Elisabeth Kasdorf at ekasdorf@unicefusa.org.

Advocacy Council
Concerned citizens participate in letter-writing campaigns to their elected representatives on topics of major interest to UNICEF and the U.S. Fund. These campaigns are important for the visibility they bring to vital issues affecting children in the developing world. To participate online, click here.