Festa Parties Sponsors May 5th Fundraiser for School Street Park in Lakeview

The School Street PAC, in association with Wrigley Field Rooftop Club and Festa Parties, are sponsoring a May 5 Fundraiser during a Chicago Cubs game to benefit the School Street Park in Lakeview. End Quote

Chicago, IL (1888PressRelease) April 09, 2013 - The Wrigley Field Rooftop Club will be hosting a fundraiser on May 5th, 2013 during the Cubs game to support the construction of the new School Street Park in Lakeview. Built in 2008, the Wrigley Field Rooftop Club is the newest facility, as well as one of the largest, overlooking Wrigley Field. In collaboration with the Chicago Cubs, Alderman Tunney's Office and the Chicago Park District founded the School Street Park Advisory Council (PAC) in August of 2012 to design, promote and support the funding of the new School Street Park.

Each of the members of the School Street PAC have played roles in working towards the goal of having the build-out to commence this Spring/Summer and the park to be open by the Fall/Winter of 2013. Alderman Tunney has worked to secure funding for the land, the Chicago Cubs have agreed to contribute to the construction of the park, and the Chicago Park District has agreed to manage the park once it is complete. "We can't wait for the new park. I'm very grateful to the Cubs, to Alderman Tunney, and to the PAC for the tireless hours they have put into this project. It's a testament to what one community can do when everyone comes together. It's going to be a fantastic addition to the neighborhood," stated Lakeview Resident Trisha Rich.

Located just west of Racine Avenue on School Street in Lakeview, the new park promises to be a wonderful addition to the local community. Current resident Julia Garcia Wirth exclaims, "As a longtime Lakeview resident, I am really excited about the proposed park on School Street and am really looking forward to enjoying it with my two year old daughter. Our daughter likes to explore the neighborhood parks and I think this one would be a great addition to the community!"

After gathering additional feedback from the community, the School Street PAC is working to design a park that contains the following features:

- Play structures/areas for infants/toddlers, 3-5 year olds and 6-12 year olds.

- Shaded picnic and play areas.

- Water Features for all ages to enjoy.

- Open turfed green space for community beautification and future park programs and

events.

- Decorative lighting, benches, public art and landscaping that will provide an urban escape.

The School Street PAC has a fundraising goal of $200,000 to complete the build out and include the features the community desires. To date, they have raised just over $65,000. In order to help close the gap, they are offering the opportunity to donors to receive an inscribed brick in the park with their contributions. Since Friends of the Parks (FOTP) is a 501(c) (3) federally registered tax-exempt organization and the School Street Park is one of the FOTP Program projects, the full donation to The School Street Park is deductible as a charitable donation to Friends of the Parks, to the extent allowed by law.

In order to assist in raising more funds, the Wrigley Field Rooftop Club is donating two rooftops for the Cubs game on May 5th, 2013, offering all proceeds collected from the ticket sales to the School Street Park. Tickets are $100 for adults, $25 for children, and Kids Under 10 can attend free. The outing will include an afternoon of baseball, delicious food and drink, activities for the kids, and a chance to go home with some exciting sports items. VIP tickets are also available for $250, including priority seating, a 4x8" inscribed brick, and additional gifts. The doors open at 12:50pm, and the game starts at 1:20pm. To RSVP or for more information on the event, call Erica Kelly at 773-935-9555 or email schoolplaylot(@)gmail.com.

Also aiding in the fundraising is Christopher Festa, the Owner of Festa Parties and Producer of the noted Twelve Bars of Xmas TBOX Party in Lakeview. In November of 2012, Festa donated $5,000 to the construction of the park. Then, following the success of TBOX2012, he donated another $2,500 at Alderman Tunney's fundraiser at Deuce's & Diamond later in December. Since then, Festa has worked closely with the School Street Park Advisory Council to help with awareness-building for the park as well as marketing of the May 5th rooftop fundraiser.

Festa Parties has purchased four tickets to the rooftop event, which they will use as contest prizes for participants in their upcoming Baseball-Themed Pub Crawl Event, "Cover Your Bases 2013", which will take place on Saturday, April 27. In its 5th year, this fun open house event involves more than 30 Wrigleyville taverns and restaurants, where participants receive a t-shirt with a stylized baseball diamond. The revelers then make their way through ten stops where they collect stickers to literally "cover the bases" on their shirts, and those who fill their tees completely can enter a contest to win great prizes, including the two pairs of tickets to the rooftop fundraiser. Other prizes for the event include gift certificates from participating bars such as Red Ivy, Moe's Cantina, Redmond's, John Barleycorn, Dugout, Trace, and Stretch.

The Cover Your Bases 2013 event will begin at 1pm at Deuce's & the Diamond Club, make its way through the other stops, and conclude with a spectacular finale at O'Malley's Liquor Kitchen, where event participants can walk a runway the final leg to an actual home plate on stage, and have their picture taken as they cross the plate and "Score". Festa Parties also strongly encourages participants to get decked out in their favorite team's baseball gear - jerseys, caps, eyeblack, leggings - everything to celebrate America's pastime. "CYB" will also feature the singing of the National Anthem, a ceremonial First Pitch, singing of the 7th Inning Stretch, and much, much more. Event Organizer Christopher Festa commented, "Most of our customers love baseball, and love being part of a community centered around Wrigley Field and all its history and character. When we had the idea for this party in 2009, it just seemed a very natural fit for the neighborhood and the time of year, with spring in the air, and people ready to get out and enjoy all Chicago has to offer for the summer months. It's also nice for us to be able to tie this in and contribute to a great cause within the Lakeview Neighborhood, the new park, which will be a special place for local families." Tickets for the Cover Your Bases event are currently on sale at the Festa Parties Web Site.

Festa Parties also holds the annual BeadQuest Mardi Gras Celebration in Wrigleyville, and will hold its 18th Annual World-Famous TBOX event on December 14 of this year. In addition to its work with the School Street Park, Festa Parties has been a Silver Sponsor since 2010 and won Top Fundraising Team award for the CHICAGO Dance Marathon benefit, and contributes regularly to the Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, and began holding monthly Cereal Donation Parties benefiting Lakeview Pantry. For more information, visit www.festaparties.com.

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