Wish Ball 2015 - Part 1: The Walkthrough

Location: Navy Pier

Date: Monday, May 11, 2015; 5:30-6:30 pm

It was time for another ‘Wish Ball’, and this time it was at the ‘Navy Pier’.  As per the assignments that had been sent out earlier, I was to be on “Registration”, “VIP Escort” and then “Close Out”.  It was a “demotion” from last years 'Wish Ambassador Escort' for sure, though the “VIP Escort” seemed to have potential!  As usual, there were 3 “walkthroughs” and I had chosen to attend the second of the three.  It was at the very end of ‘Navy Pier’, so when the cab dropped me at the front entrance, it took me a good 10 minutes to get there.

I arrived to see Dan – a ‘MAW’ staff member - amongst others waiting by the check-in table.  Also present were other volunteers, including some that I had met at last year’s ‘Festival of Thanksgiving’.  There were documents with my name-tag on it, though putting the name-tag was a challenge by itself, since try as I may, I could not tear it off.  Well I guess if they want to know who I was, they were just going to have to ask me!  Looking through the package I realized that I was now only on “Registration” and not “Closeout”, meaning I would be done sooner – though it also meant that I was off the “VIP Escort” list as well.  I also noticed that Jay Leno was the “Chief Guest” and since I would be done earlier, I would have a chance to see his performance. 

We went over the “Event Timeline” and how the guests should be treated and where they needed to be and at what time.  The guests had bought tickets for $600 a plate and so needed to be treated with “white gloves”.  We were told about some of the “Live Auction” items such as a visit to Leno’s garage, dinner with Stephanie Izzard – a celebrity chef - and cocktails by Charles Joly – a celebrity mixologist.  We were also told about “Silent Auction” bids and how we would also be able to offer our own bids if we so chose.  It seems that a couple of years ago a volunteer actually won.  Next we learnt about the 6 ‘Wish Kids’ that were “ambassadors” and how each of them had been allocated a color.  The volunteer t-shirts were also going to be one of these 6 colors and it certainly looked like it would be a colorful evening.  Finally, we were told not to drink, which seems like a no-brainer, though someone had been seen drinking at last year’s event.

The 'Grand Ballroom' where the main event would be held

We went on a tour and this year we were on multiple levels, meaning there was a lot of climbing stairs and going up and down.  The main point that they emphasized was bathrooms everywhere, so much so that it felt like a guided tour of the “Restrooms of Navy Pier”!  As usual, nothing was ready and I look forward to seeing the finished rooms, especially the 'Grand Ballroom'.  I had been there once before, for “Chicago Lobster Festival” last year.  The views from all of the rooms, including volunteer break-room were spectacular.  Final stop was the rooftop, where the after party and dancing would be held and that for sure would be the best views of the city.  I hope the weather is nice that evening and I can’t wait to be here on Saturday.