Sure Bet

By Michelle Dellinger
June 2018 View more Naperscene

The Women’s Board and Board of Trustees of the Chicago Zoological Society hosted its 37th annual Whirl gala on April 28. More than 525 guests attended the event at Brookfield Zoo. Guests mingled with many of the zoo’s animal ambassadors during the cocktail reception, including a Humboldt penguin, sulcata tortoise and wallaby.

The “Whirl of Fortune” theme was carried through in the Grand Tent decorated with candelabra centerpieces along with oversized playing cards and dice on each table. A three-course dinner featured a roasted beet, apple, and goat cheese salad; braised beef short rib topped with horseradish, dusted onions, and caraway cream sauce with a celery root puree and braised carrots. Dessert was a trio of sorbet with berries and white chocolate. Following dinner guests enjoyed dancing plus blackjack, roulette, craps and Texas Hold ’em.

The fundraiser grossed more than $1.3 million. Proceeds will support the animals at Brookfield Zoo, as well as the Chicago Zoological Society’s conservation, education and community outreach programs.