Idol Star Inspires Students

A former American Idol contestant took time out to inspire students in the Chicago area. Danny Gokey (who came in 3rd in Season 8) visited Bannockburn School last week to teach the students about music and encourage them to follow their dreams.


The school won the visit from Gokey after entering a contest sponsored by Clorox. The students had to learn a song called "I Don't Want to Miss," and make a music video showing what they wouldn't want to miss out on if they were home sick. Here's the video the kids at Bannockburn School came up with:




Bannockburn School was up against 4 high schools and ended up winning the grand prize! CMT.com wrote an article about Gokey's visit to the school. Here's an excerpt written by Alison Bonaguro after speaking with Gokey:

He told me before the class that kids don't even need to be inspired because they haven't been hurt by life enough to have their dreams beaten down. But whether he meant to or not, he did inspire them. To think big, no matter how many "dream stealers" get in your way.

Congrats to the students at Bannockburn! Never stop dreaming big!

Vin Wins Man of the Year

Remember last week's story about Vin Tormo? He was the karaoke singing nominee for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's "Man of the Year" title.

Well, I've got good news! Over the weekend, Vin won and became Man of the Year! His campaign team brought in a whopping $118,123 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Even better, the 18 Illinois candidates raised a total of $640,000. This shattered the previous fundraising record.

Congrats to Vin and all the candidates for all their hard work!! The money raised will help provide research, education and advocacy for blood cancers.

Here's the video of Vin getting announced as the winner. You can tell how hard his team worked by their reaction to his win!!!

Friday Sports Round Up!

NAPERVILLE SUN: Sixth-grader doesn't let autism hold him back

An autistic boy in Naperville is setting quite the example in encouraging others! The 12-year-old is a bat boy for a local traveling team, and he’s their biggest supporter. He’s not always on the sidelines though. Last month, he won a gold medal in the Special Olympics. Even then, he was cheering on the other kids. Here’s what his Dad told the Naperville Sun:

"The coolest part about it was he clapped for everybody else when they got their medals. He clapped for the sixth-place guy."

CHICAGO TRIBUNE: Minnesota kid matured in Chicago

Do you have Blackhawks fever like I do? Check out this article in the Chicago Tribune about Dustin Byfuglien. The article says before he was the big man on the ice, he lived in a trailer home in Minnesota and struggled to focus on his schoolwork. It’s awesome to see how far you can go with a little hard work, determination and a good support system! (Go Blackhawks! da dada da dada dada dada da....)

SUBURBAN LIFE: Empowered in pink

The Lyons Township soccer team just raised about $5,000 for breast cancer research. Two teammates planned the "Pink Out" to reach out to the community and raise money for a good cause. They held a clinic for young girls and sold nearly 800 pink shirts for fans to wear at a game. Good to see young people taking initiative to make events like this happen!

Passionate Focus

Blind artists are proving that you don't need your sight to create beautiful works of art.

There's currently an art exhibit in Chicago called Passionate Focus that highlights the work of 16 blind artists from across the country. The event is held by the Chicago group, Guild for the Blind.

The online gallery highlights the amazing art and the artists stories. Here are just a few of them:

Charles Blackwell: Unheard of

"The role of art in my life is useful in helping me cope, exist and flourish in the society in which I live. It also helps me to use my blindness as an asset as opposed to being a defect. I use my fingers to paint with, or the bottom of a brush, or even three color pencils at one time. That, along with the jagged lines, brutal strokes, sloshing colors and serendipity point me in the path of moving towards originality. "

Susan Joy Gustafson: Angels Abundant

"Losing my sight compels me to relish beauty, look intently and imprint the spirit of the object in my mind's eye. My paintings are joyful and full of living pigment."

Russell Schermer: 1959 Ford Fairlane 500 Clay Model

"Born blind, I have never seen the cars I mold out of clay. Instead, I have 80 plastic cars that I use as references or I visit car shows and use my hands as my eyes. Memorizing every detail, I reconstruct pieces of clay into a likelihood of an object I have never actually seen. I refuse to dwell on my blindness, instead wanting to be respected for my work."

The artwork is so impressive and the artists stories are really moving. They aren't allowing their disabilities to hold them back; they're working harder and finding creative ways to follow their passion.

**You can see the Passionate Focus Exhibit in person at 233 W Huron through Friday, May 21**

Lifesaving Fundraising

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's 2010 Man & Woman of the Year campaign is almost over. There are 18 candidates running this year and you can vote for your favorite by donating to their cause!

I personally met one of the candidates at a fundraiser last month and he really inspired me. I met up with him later to find out why he's so passionate about the cause. Take a look:

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society holds the Man & Woman of the Year fundraising competition every year. Money raised is put toward research, education and advocacy of blood cancers. Nationwide, the fundraiser brought in $7.7 million in 2009.

Vin Tormo is one of seven men campaigning for the local 2010 Man of the Year title. You can find out more about him at his campaign website. There are also 11 women vying for the title of Woman of the Year. Check out all the candidates here!

The winners will be announced this Friday, May 21. You can vote up until that point by making a donation to the candidate of your choice!

**INSPIRING SIDE STORY**

Vin and his campaign team held a yard sale as one of their fundraising events. At the event, a little girl saw a bike she liked and tried to ride it. She was having trouble, so Vin helped her by fixing the settings on the bike and showing her how to ride without training wheels. The girl was having a great time on the bike, but it was clear she didn't have the money to buy it. Vin decided to buy it for her! You can tell how much this small gesture meant to the little girl-- just look at her smile!

Video shot and edited by Sarah Jindra

My Oprah Story!

Yesterday was a great day! My boyfriend took his Mom to see Oprah:) I never thought we'd be able to get tickets for her, but it happened! I'm so thankful to everyone who helped make it possible.

The best way to describe why it meant so much, is to let you read part of the letter that my boyfriend wrote to Oprah:

Dear Ms. Winfrey,

I would like to thank you for giving my mother something to look forward to every day as long as I can remember. She was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis 25 years ago and has been slowly approaching a state of near paralysis ever since. She was diagnosed shortly after I was born and quickly had my two younger brothers as soon as she found out because she was afraid the disease may prohibit her from having more children in the future.

About 10 years ago the disease got the best of her physical strength and she became confined to a bed. We are able to get her out of the room in her wheel chair for a few hours a day and out of the house about once a week, but she has a hard time with it. Since she is in bed all day, there is not much she can do other than watch TV. She is often alone for 3-4 hours at a time so she is stuck watching only one channel because she cannot change the channel on her own. Every morning before we leave we ask her what channel she would like to watch, and without hesitation, she says Channel 7 every time. She does not care for anything on TV other than your show; in fact, she probably could not tell you another program that airs on Channel 7.

Because of her condition and being confined to a room for most her life, her mind is beginning to slip and she has trouble remembering things. Multiple Sclerosis does not directly affect the mind but it does have an indirect affect. While some days are better than others, no matter how "out of it she is", she can always tell us when and what channel "Oprah" is on. There are days she could not tell you who the current president is, what year it is, or even when her sons birthdays are, but what she can tell you is every guest you had on your show for the entire week and in what order. I am truly grateful she has you to help keep her mind sharp and keep her entertained while we are not around.

I forwarded the letter to my friends to see if they had any "Oprah" connections who could help us get his Mom to a taping of the show. I was shocked at how many people stepped forward to try and help! Turns out my friend has a friend...who's brother has a friend....(are you still with me?? ha) ...who works at The Oprah Store. He won 2 tickets in the staff lottery and selflessly gave them up for my boyfriend and his Mom! Parker, I know we have never met, but thank you so much for your generosity!

Yesterday was the big taping. My boyfriend picked up his Mom and brought her downtown for the show. I went and met them outside the studio to take a picture of them before they went inside (no camera's allowed inside!). As I was leaving, some kind man asked me why I wasn't going with them to the show. When I told him that we only had two tickets, he disappeared and told me to wait there. When he came back, he somehow got me on a standby list and I got into the show too! He said, "she'd want you to be there with her too". It was so incredibly sweet of this stranger to take the time to do something like that!

I got to sit right next to my boyfriend and his Mom at the show. She was thrilled to be there and it was really fun seeing her so happy! Thanks so much to all the people who helped make this happen.

You've inspired me, Chicago;)

Finding a Friend in an Angel

There’s a fabulous organization in Chicago called Imerman Angels. It’s a cancer support group that pairs a person who is fighting cancer with a survivor of that same type of cancer. The “Angel” is there for the fighter to answer any questions and provide encouragement.

I recently saw first-hand how this group helped one Chicago father beat his cancer. Originally reluctant to accept help from a stranger, he ended up finding a good friend in his angel. Check out their story:

It was great meeting Scott and Joe. It was clear they both made a big difference in each others lives with the help of Imerman Angels. It was also great meeting Scott's wife, Eva. When Scott was diagnosed with cancer, she had to start taking care of two people (her new baby and her husband) while working to keep her family afloat. In my opinion, she's just as inspiring!

Story shot by Jordan Arseneau
Story written and edited by Sarah Jindra

Curves & Crevices

This time around, the featured book is more of a "view" rather than a "read". It's an amazing collection of Chicago's architectural landmarks, drawn by an architectural designer who lives in Chicago.

Dennis Alex spent five years illustrating 52 different landmarks in the Chicago area, including the Chicago Theatre, Wrigley Field and O'hare Airport. In the book, Curves & Crevices: Romancing Chicago, each landmark is shown as a detailed black and white sketch, as well as a digitally painted illustration. It's truly incredible to see the detail he captures in his drawings.

Alex originally studied architecture in India, where he was born. He then moved to Hong Kong to continue his studies and work in architectural design. He now lives in Chicago and published his book of illustrations in December of 2009. I got to talk with Dennis Alex today about his fabulous book. Here are excerpts from our conversation:

INSPIREme: You have an amazing talent for drawing. How did you get into drawing Chicago's landmarks?

DENNIS ALEX: In 2004, I gave it my first shot. The first one was the Field Museum. I gave it a try and it came out OK! I was actually surprised at how it came out! That built my confidence to go ahead and do the rest. I didn’t want to do anything that wouldn’t capture the real beauty of the architecture. Those are amazing structures so I didn’t want to do something and make them look ugly.

INSPIREme: In the introduction, you say Chicago is "one of the world's most glamorous, prosperous and mesmerizing cities". You obviously have a big place for Chicago in your heart.

DENNIS ALEX: I do. No matter where you are in the world, if you’re studying architecture you have to learn about Chicago because most of the modern architectural movement started here. You learn a lot about the many buildings in Chicago, like the Sears Tower of course then Crown Hall, and Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright. All those greats came out of this city.

I learned about all that in India, but I never thought someday I would come and see this place. So it was amazing to come over here and see the great city personally. When I saw it, it was beyond my expectations all together-- much more beautiful than I expected. Not only the buildings, but the city all together. It’s such a vibrant, dynamic, wonderful city full of surprises and beauty. I love this city very much.

INSPIREme: How would you describe the experience of putting together so many illustrations from a city you love so much?

DENNIS ALEX: It was a wonderful journey. Rather than work, it was a passion-- a passionate journey for past 5 years exploring the beautiful city.

INSPIREme: There are 52 drawings in the book. Which is your favorite?

DENNIS ALEX: It’s pretty hard to say. All of them are my babies!

INSPIREme: So how long does it take you to do a drawing from start to finish?

DENNIS ALEX: Some of them took me over two months-- like the Buckingham Fountain. It took one month just to do the water and capture the real feel of the fountain. I had to get the water droplets in great detail. That had to be right in that picture.

INSPIREme:For each structure, there are two photos: a black and white sketch and a color photo. Why did you decide to include both in the book?

DENNIS ALEX: It shows the process. The first process is to get a black and white ink line drawing. And then scan it to the computer and color it. The black and white line drawing has to be done in great detail. Once you have that it’s not too difficult to color it. Some people like to see it like a sketch. Even black and white line drawings have a beauty, so I just wanted to show the process.

Curves & Crevices is a really neat book to keep on your coffee table or at your office. It's fun to flip through and see all the iconic landmarks of our city. The most impressive part, is that these are more than still photos. They're drawings that took two months each to create. I took some photos of the book so you can see just how impressive the illustrations are:

Above: Field Museum black and white sketch

Below: Field Museum color illustration

Above: River City black and white sketch
Below: River City color illustration

Below: House of Blues photo layout


You can check out all the pictures in the book by purchasing it online at Chicago Sketches, Amazon, or the Chicago Architectural Foundation.

A Hero & A Philanthropist

DAILY HERALD: Des Plaines teacher wins Carnegie Award for saving student

A counselor at a school for special-needs students in Des Plaines is being awarded by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission for rescuing a student from the flooded Des Plaines River. According to the commission, here's why Christopher Skeet got the award:

"Christopher Adam Skeet helped to save a boy from drowning, Des Plaines, Illinois, September 15, 2008. A teenaged boy fled his school and was located by school personnel, including Skeet, 30, teacher, along the Des Plaines River. The river was flooded from heavy rains, and its current was swift. The boy mounted a concrete wall adjacent to the river and jumped into it. He submerged, the current then carrying him out from the bank and downstream. Without hesitation, Skeet, fully clothed, jumped into the river and swam to him, but the swift current and the boy’s struggling impeded Skeet's initial attempt to tow him back to the wall. They were pulled a distance downstream before Skeet got the boy within reach of the wall. Another man entered the river to help, and people along the wall, including responding police, pulled the boy, the other man, and Skeet from the river. All three were taken to a hospital for examination. Skeet recovered from nausea and muscle ache."

Congrats to Skeet! He's getting a medal and $5,000...well deserved!

WEDNESDAY JOURNAL: Oak Park mom shares 'One Love'

An third grade teacher in Oak Park just raised $10,000 for Haitian earthquake survivors. The single mother of two organized a benefit concert all by herself to raise the money. It will go to the Organization for Haitian Development and Progress, which was created by a group of Haitian Americans. Their goal is to help support a small Haitian community where many of them were born and raised before immigrating to Chicago.

Lessons in Humanity

ABC 7: Garden Center provides jobs for people with disabilities

A non-profit in Cicero has a great new program to employ people with developmental disabilities. The organization, Seguin Services, recently opened a Garden and Bookstore to help raise funds. The added benefit, is that it also helps employ people the group serves. Check out the story at the link above!

NBC 5: Man loses arm, gains lesson in humanity

On April 14, a man driving in his convertible got hit by a truck nearly head on. In the crash, he lost his arm. However, a passerby helped stop the bleeding and saved his life. Click the link above to watch the story!