Marvel at the opulence of the Drake Hotel Gold Coast Room at the BLUEPRINTs Celebration Gala. Sip fine wine and savor an elegant dinner. Revel in the atmosphere of the most glamorous party in Streeterville.

Please join SOAR for the 6th annual BLUEPRINTs gala celebration Tuesday, September 27, 2011. Enjoy cocktails and preview the silent auction beginning at 6:30 pm followed by an elegant three course dinner in the Gold Coast Room at 7:30 pm.

Enjoy the music and opportunity to visit with friends and neighbors. Architect honoree, Laurence O. Booth, will be presented with the Vision into Reality award.

SOAR is also honoring the Lookingglass Theatre Company located in Streeterville's historic Chicago Water Works building. Lookingglass is the recipient of SOAR's 2011 "Pillar of the Community" award for ongoing service to the community. Notable accomplishments include the theater's 2011 Regional Tony Award; its joint program with Northwestern Memorial Hospital for Alzheimer's patients; outreach to book clubs in the community; a special theater piece produced in connection with the 2011 Burnham Plan Centennial; a succession of avant-garde theatrical productions of high quality and critical acclaim over 22 years; summer theater program for children; and an internship program for college students interested in theater as a career.

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit the BLUEPRINTs 2011 webpage.

Community Meeting Tonight

Every spring the City of Chicago Department of the Environment sponsors a citywide paper drive.  SOAR was just announced as the 2nd place finisher in total tonnage of paper collected in the 2011 drive.  We owe thanks to many people and organizations for our successful achievement.  Waste Management provides clean dumpsters for all organizations that sign up for the drive.  Northwestern Memorial Hospital fenced in a dedicated spot on their vacant lot at Ontario and McClurg for our dumpster during the three weeks of the drive.  We also thank SOAR volunteers Manny Martinez and Sara Sylvan who coordinated with the City for the SOAR collection site and picked up paper for many buildings and delivered to the dumpster.  Finally, we congratulate all the SOAR members who saved their paper in anticipation of the drive and deposited it in our dumpster.

This was one of many SOAR initiatives "to make Streeterville the Greenest Neighborhood in Chicago".  There are many recycling opportunities for paper, metal, glass, recyclable plastic, fluorescent bulbs/tubes, and electronics (discarded computers, printers, TVs, or anything else with wiring or electronic circuits).  If you would like to facilitate more comprehensive recycling in your building, ask your building manager or condo board to visit the Recycling for Multi-Unit Residential Buildings webpage to learn more.  

Streeterville In the News 

Streeterville Community Events & Programs

The Save Prentice Coalition is holding a "Save Prentice Outreach Day" on Saturday, Sept. 17 (the first day the Bertrand Goldberg exhibit is open to the public at the Art Institute of Chicago), from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, on Michigan Avenue between Adams and Monroe streets. Learn More.

For the second year in a row, "Street Corner Science: Ask a Nobel Laureate" finds the Chicago Council on Science and Technology in front of Chicago's Wrigley Building. On Saturday, Sept. 24, from 12 noon to 2:00 pm, C2ST Board member, Illinois Institute of Technology faculty member and Nobel Prize-winning physicist, Dr. Leon Lederman, answers questions from passers-by of all ages, concerning anything about science, technology and the physical world. More Info.

Happy Birthday! SOAR business member Fox & Obel is 10 years old.  In celebration & as a way of saying thank you for your patronage and loyalty over the past decade they are offering a special birthday dinner Prix Fixe menu at an incredible Anniversary price of $10 at the Market Bistro now through September 25th. Reserve Today.

Join Northwestern Memorial Hospital on October 1 for an exciting full day event on Women's Integrative Health! This day is dedicated to renewing the spirit and learning lifestyle changing healthy habits. Northwestern Integrative Medicine experts and special guest speakers bring to you the very latest information on integrative medicine and wellness topics. Learn More.

Safety and Security 

The next CAPS meeting for South Streeterville, North Streeterville, Gold Coast and Near North West will be held on Thursday, November 3rd at 7:00 pm, 115 W. Chicago Avenue (Access Living Building).

Get Involved!

There are many ways to become active and engaged in SOAR's efforts in Streeterville.  Volunteers can contribute through one-time efforts, work on special events or projects, assist in the office, or participate on an ongoing basis with SOAR's task forces and committees.  Streeterville residents 18 years or older are invited and encouraged to get involved.  For specific volunteer opportunities, please visit SOAR's website.