Save the date for the RNBC Awards Dinner, Wednesday, October 19, 2011.

Four Seasons Hotel Chicago

5:00 PM Education Hour • 6:00 PM Reception • 7:00 PM Dinner

Business Attire

For more information, contact PJH & Associates at (312) 553‑2000

2010 Awards Dinner Details

The Awards
The RNBC Annual Awards Dinner honors families and individuals who have made a difference for children with neurobehavioral challenges. Honorees range from teachers and parents to donors to the kids themselves.

Creating the Future Award — Ann, Steve, and Ben Bartram

The Creating the Future Award celebrates the success of a child affected by neurobehavioral issues and the family that has created an optimal environment for their child’s development.

Ann, Steve, Stephen, and Nina have traveled an uncharted journey with their son and brother, the remarkable Ben Bartram. Their indomitable onward and upward attitude has lit the course from the time they were first aware of the challenges Ben might face. Without blinking Ann and Steve nurtured his interests and built an educational framework to insure Ben’s many successes.

We have had the good fortune to see the extraordinary progress Ben has made over the years. His improvement hasn’t happened by accident; it’s the result of a courageous and loving family, assisted by friends and very special educators, along with specialized programs that have benefited his development and growth.

Pearl H. Reiger Award — Dr. Sally L. Sover on behalf of The Cove School

The Pearl H. Rieger Award pays tribute to an individual or institution that has made a significant difference in the lives of children with neurobehavioral issues.

The Cove School, founded in 1947, was the nation’s first school exclusively for the education of children with learning disabilities. Cove continues to be a leader in helping children with learning disabilities develop the skills and self-confidence they need to transition to community schools or post-secondary education.

Dr. Sover has led The Cove School for the past seven years through a period of great change, growth, and advancement. She has helped change the culture of the school, strengthen the board of directors, overhaul the school’s academic programs with an increased emphasis on literacy, an integrated curriculum, and the introduction of technology to the classroom, all monitored by quantitative measurement of student achievement. She has also led a comprehensive facility improvement and expansion program that provides a clear vision for other institutions across the country.

Game Changer Award - The Gary C. Comer Family

The issues that confront children in underserved urban neighbor-hoods often seem insurmountable. Yet a few remarkable people envision solutions that most of us can’t imagine, then make the solutions a reality. At RNBC, we call them “Game Changers.” The first to receive our Game Changer Award is the Gary C. Comer family.

Gary grew up on Chicago’s South Side too poor to go to college, but his remarkable business savvy revolutionized direct merchandising, when he created and grew Lands’ End.

The devotion to improving the lives of children is what really sets Gary and his family apart in our eyes. Gary, who died in 2006, his wife Francie, and their children Stephanie and Guy are creating a positive future for youngsters in Gary’s old neighborhood and across the South Side of Chicago, through numerous educational and medical institutions and programs, such as Gary Comer College Prep and the Comer Children’s Hospital at the University of Chicago.

Every day, the Comer family is setting a standard for “changing the game” and proving that the lives of children can be changed for the better when they’re offered the right opportunities. 

Education Hour

The evening started with an Education Hour, presented by Dr. Stephen Nowicki, Jr. The presentation, titled “Relationships for a Lifetime Part 2 – Adulthood,” was a continuation of Dr. Nowicki’s presenation at last year’s Awards Dinner. The presentation provided a look at the way we relate to people in childhood and how our relation to others develops and changes through adulthood.

Dutch Auction
RNBC and the Scholarship Committee are excited to announce that the Dutch Auction in support of the Pearl H. Reiger Scholarship Program was a great success. The auction began with the inspiring story of one this year’s Scholarship recipients, and continued with a spirited donation auction to raise funds for the program.

Thank you to all of this year’s RNBC Awards Dinner donors and supporters!

2009 Gala Details

Nearly 400 friends and donors helped Rush NeuroBehavioral Center (RNBC) celebrate thirteen years of helping children with learning challenges at our Annual Awards Dinner, Wednesday evening, October 21, 2009, at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago. Designed to raise awareness of RNBC’s mission – to build on the strengths of children, teens and young adults – the dinner also raises support for RNBC’s educational initiatives, scholarship programs for deserving children and families in the Chicago area, and nationally-recognized research projects that help RNBC understand, assess, and treat patients more effectively. Because of RNBC’s dedicated community of friends and donors, this year’s event exceeded its fundraising goals despite the economic downturn.

Dr. Stephen Nowicki, Jr., presented “Relationships for a Lifetime”

The evening began with a presentation by Dr. Stephen Nowicki, Jr., world renowned psychologist and behavioral researcher. Called “Relationships for a Lifetime,” the presentation focused on friendships from childhood through adulthood, as well as the necessary skills for a lifetime of healthy relationships. Dr. Nowicki also answered questions after the presentation. The room full of friends of RNBC was captivated by Dr. Nowicki’s explanation of the incredible impact positive relationships can have on a person’s development from childhood through adulthood.

Dr. Nowicki explained, “Though the type of friendship differs dramatically over a lifetime, being connected to others in a close, positive way provides not only a reason to live, but also an impetus to thrive and prosper.  Learning how to relate begins at birth and continues throughout life.”

Dr. Nowicki taught at Emory University for 40 years where he served as Director of Clinical Training, Head of the Psychological Center, and Head of the Counseling Center. Among his many distinctions, he is the recipient of two Fulbright awards, was twice named a von Humboldt Scholar for Research in Germany, and has been awarded the Benjamin Meaker and Leverhulme Fellowships for research study in England.  He is also the author of more than 350 books and publications. He currently serves as a consultant to public school programs and maintains an active clinical practice.

Following Dr. Nowicki’s talk, guests enjoyed cocktails and dinner and the presentation of awards to three remarkable individuals: Michael W. Ferro, Jr., Susan Noyes, and Joe Franco.

Michael W. Ferro, Jr., received the “Living Proof Award”

Mr. Michael W. Ferro, Jr. received the “Living Proof Award,” given to recognize an individual for a lifetime of achievements. Mr. Ferro is Chairman and CEO of Merrick Ventures, LLC, and Chairman of Merge Healthcare (Nasdaq MRGE) a healthcare technology company.  As the Founder of Click Commerce, Mr. Ferro was an early pioneer of enabling business-to-business commerce over the Internet and is credited as the father of the “Extranet.”

Mr. Ferro is a Director on the Board of Trustees of The Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, The Field Museum of Chicago, The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, Northwestern University and the Lyric Opera of Chicago. He also serves on the boards of Children’s Memorial Hospital, The Northwestern Memorial Foundation and the Executive Committee of The Chicago Community Trust.  Mr. Ferro is the Vice Chairman of the World Health Imaging Alliance, a board member of the Economics Club of Chicago and a member of YPO and The Commercial Club of Chicago.

Mr. Ferro has received numerous awards and honors, including becoming a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute, winning the KPMG Illinois High-Tech Award, the 2006 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in Technology and the 2005 CEO National Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

Susan Noyes received the “Pearl H. Rieger Award”

Ms. Susan B. Noyes received the “Pearl H. Rieger Award,” which pays tribute to an individual or institution that has made a significant difference in the lives of children with neurobehavioral issues. Susan Noyes’ support and insights have benefited not only RNBC, but many other organizations that help children learn and thrive.

She has worked to help every child feel special and recognize their own abilities and strengths through her efforts at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, where she contributed generously to the launch of their new educational leadership degree, Howard Gardner’s current research on collaboration and state-of-the-art facilities; the Chicago Public Education Fund (for which she was recruited by then State Senator Barack Obama), which focuses on improving education for the neediest children, and the board of New Trier High School, where she helped mitigate the effects of a culture of competition by working to ensure that every child had a meaningful experience and opportunity to participate in activities promoting personal growth.

Finally, as the founder of the online community resource MakeItBetter.com (and a new magazine of the same name), Susan B. Noyes is working to keep the idea of contributing to organizations benefiting children fresh and vital in the minds of her readers.

Joe Franco and his family received the “Creating the Future Award”

Joe Franco and his family received the “Creating the Future Award,” which celebrates the success of a child affected by neurobehavioral issues and the family that has created an optimal environment for their child’s development.

We first saw Joe Franco at RNBC when he was 5 years old and frustrated by having social and language skills that couldn’t keep pace with his superior perception and reasoning skills. In the past seven years, Joe and his family have done absolutely everything they could and Joe has made fantastic progress.

He’s gone from being a boy who did not understand that others had thoughts and feelings of their own to a friendly and sensitive guy who always asks “How are you.” And after he asks, he listens to the answer. Joe exemplifies the enormous distance a child and his family can travel together.

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