Lovetoaustralia

12/22/2020

CHRISSY EVE EX-PAT AUSSIE ZOOM BRUNCH: 11 AM CST

Aussie Ex-Pat Friends a long way from home. Let's Kick-off Chrissy with a good-old Christmas Eve Aussie BYO Brunch!

When: Thursday. December 24th. 11 am - 12pm CST
Where: via Zoom (Registration Link Below)

Bring your own breakfast, coffee, or beverage of choice, and wear your best Aussie-themed clothing for a little Aussie Cheer to see in the holiday season!

Register via Zoom to Attend: http://bit.ly/LoveToOzChrissyEveBrunch

03/07/2020

To All our Love to Australia Friends, Sponsors, and Partners, We made it over the finish line!! We’ve been busy finalizing every cent and are incredibly happy to report that together we have officially raised ...

$50,498.26 Australian Dollars (USD$32,879.83)
With $0.93 cents in every dollar raised going to the Charity BlazeAid.

If you bought a ticket, won the top bid on a live or silent auction item, donated, promoted, volunteered or contributed in any way to the “Love to Australia” event you helped us raise just over $50k Australia Dollars. With the support of all our sponsors, partners and friends we’ve calculated over USD$19k in items and services was generously donated so we could ensure that $0.93 cents in every dollar raised will be going directly to the charity BlazeAid.

Our mates over at BlazeAid are super happy! The money will be put to use straight away to start rebuilding fences and the communities devastated by the worst fires in recorded history.

A HUGE thank you to our major supporters, most importantly Bennett Day School, Old Bridge Cellar Wines and Grand Central Brewing (the emergency keg delivery ensured we weren’t a pub with no beer!) and Down Under Endeavours for generously supporting our event. The full list of sponsors and partners are listed below. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who came out to support.

We had an absolutely fantastic night and we hope you did too! The photos are below.

Remember – Australia is open for business! The best gift you can give Aussies right now is the blessing of your presence.

Truckloads of love from the LTA Organizing Team ---
Dr Kelly Page, Cherie Jackson, Andy Cutting, Karla Cutting, Aly Jados, Naomi Levine, Ayse Ucarkus, Wesley J Nott …

A big thank you to all our sponsors, partners and friends.




*Official Sponsors*
Bennett Day School
Downunder Endeavors
Frooze Balls
Consulate General of Australian Chicago) (Loved the Mateship Swag Bags)

*Official Partners*
- Alcohol & Bar
Blue Plate Catering
Old Bridge Cellar
Heritage Cellars
Kings & Convicts Brewery
Grand Central Brewing
Mr Black Espresso Martinis
Intelligentsia Coffee
Jarritos

- Catering & Food
ManBQue
TipsySpace
Carnivore Inc.
Buddig Meats
Daniel Kaminski
Coalfire Pizza
Fresh Picks
Silver Hills Bakery
Peter Rubi Produce
Wixter Market (Salmon)
Apple Valley Natural Foods
Farm House
Gordon Food service

- Event Supplies & Printing
Alpha Graphics
Shultz Supplies
Windy City Linens
Alsco Linen
NFS Party Rentals

- Entertainment
Michael Charles, Aussie Blues Artist
Aly Jados, Lead Singer of Blood People
Paul Farahvar, Chicago Comedian
Brett Parry, Aussie Singer & Presenter
Bobby Vujic, Aussie MC
Andy Cutting, Aussie Musician, Firefighter, DJ
John Tirado and Miguel Martin, Chicago DJ's

- Media
Block Club
Fox Chicago
NPR
WGN Radio
Q4Radio
The Daily Skimm

Thank you!




This is lovetoaustralia.com sayin ... 'Love Ya, Mate!!

02/16/2020

“The end of Australia as we know it!” What a somber and chilling account in the New York Times. THIS is why this group of Australians in Chicago rallied in 4 weeks to put on the Love to Australia Bushfire Relief Fundraiser at Bennett Day School. Four weeks ago we started a grassroots effort to do what we could to aid those suffering back in Australia.

The monies are still being tallied, we are waiting on a couple of checks and to finalize an official report —- yet are every so grateful to everyone who donated, sponsored and supported the event. We are especially proud that we’ll be able to help make a difference to the many who were impacted.

What many of us have witnessed this fire season feels alive and monstrous. With climate change forcing a relaxed country to stumble toward new ways of work, leisure and life, will politics follow?

02/15/2020

It was an honor and thrill to rock out the night with Michael Charles and his amazing band. We couldn’t have asked for a more amazing Aussie music partner, friend and love to Australia team mate!


💗

02/15/2020

Thank you!! What started as a “is anyone doing any fundraising for the bushfires” post on the Australians in Chicago forum became an all-consuming, 4 week effort that culminated in our “Love to Australia” Bushfire Relief Fundraiser event last night.

Almost 250-300 people (including lots of volunteers) came out in the bitterly cold weather to celebrate everything we love about home - our music, our food, our sense of mateship.

The volunteers who stepped forward to put this together were so hard working and passionate. Please trust us when we say it was not easy to pull off - especially when we all have day jobs.

If you came out last night or contributed in any way thank you! We still have funds coming in, so when our fundraising tally is finalised we will let you know just how much you are all helping with the rebuild back home!

If you were there, I hope you had a great time. Donations to BlazeAid can still be made at www.lovetoaustralia.com.

Huge, huge thanks to Cherie Jackson, Kelly Page, Karla Madison Cutting, Andy Cutting, Aly Jados, Naomi Levine, Ayse Ucarkus and Wesley J Nott plus all the talent - Aly Jados, Michael Charles, Brett Parry, Paul Farahvar and our very own Aussie Playlist Curator, Andy Cutting.

The event could not have been possible or special without all the food and beverage sponsors. And a very big thank you to Bennett Day School for donating the venue and for all the staff who worked with us before, during and after the event.

We’ll leave it to another post to name all the partners and sponsors because we don’t want to miss anyone out!

Love and thank you from the bottom of our hearts. BlazeAid is very aware of the effort and it has really put wind in their sales and own volunteering efforts on the ground.

Have a great weekend and happy day of love!




LOVE the Love to Australia Team ---
Kelly, Cherie, Karla, Andy, Wesley, Ayse, Naomi, and Aly.
--- Plus a couple of other Aussie and American stragglers who pitched in!
--- Double plus Cally and the Bennett Day School team. Epic support!!

Original post by Cherie Jackson. Photos by Cherie Jackson and Marianne Gruver.

Please post and share your photos tagging them so we may reshare them. 💗

02/13/2020

Today is the day we paaarrtttyyy! Tonight, at 6pm we open the doors for the Love to Australia Bushfire Relief Fundraiser at Bennett Day School (6-11pm).

Big thanks to all our partners, sponsors, supporters, friends and family members for helping us put together tonight's event! We look forward to seeing everyone and celebrating all this to being Australian --- from our food, the music, live and silent auction ... with an injection of Chicago comedy and heart!

Tickets have closed online, yet we do have a limited number that can purchased at the door. Visit lovetoaustralia.com for more information.

02/13/2020

G’Day! Good morning lovely people. So, I have an update on the meat tray for the fundraiser, it’s a little funny if I’m honest! I also want to send some words of encouragement to still come out to our shindig even if it’s snowing! Our team have worked amazingly hard to make this event the best Aussie party in Chicago, and Aussies on the other side of the world are fairing much worse! We can trudge through a little of the white stuff for them! Otherthan our dear friend Jesse who’ll be manning the sausage sizzle out the back for a little bit, the entire event is being held in doors!

So put on your snow boots, your parka, a scarf and hat ... grab an uber, lyft or CTA and get your laughing gear over to Bennett Day School at 6-11pm tonight!

02/13/2020

- LIVE AUCTION UPDATE! We are just 30 minutes shy of tickets closing and we've got HUGE news on our three (3) LIVE Auction items!!

If you haven't got your ticket, get it at lovetoaustralia.com Only a limited number will be available on the door due to capacity restrictions!

1. Chicago Blackhawks PACKAGE
Donated by the Berg Family
Value: $700

We have had an incredibly generous donation from the Berg family. Thank you. The total VALUE: at least $700 and includes:
• Signed #88 Jersey from none other than Patrick Kane, arguably the best NHL player in the league right now
• 2 ring-side tickets for the Blackhawks v Los Angeles Kings on March 29 (not for resale)
• Autographed copy of ‘The Breakaway’ – story of the team.

2. SIGNED INXS POSTER
Donated by Wesley J Nott.
Value: $$Priceless

Do we have any INXS fans here? This amazing prize has been donated by Aussie Cameraman and co-organizer of tonight’s event – Wesley Nott. This poster is special because it is signed by none other than the late Michael Hutchence! Welsey purchased it from JBTV, the longest-running music tv program. INXS interviewed with legendary host Jerry Bryant in the early 90’s and signed this poster for him. It has been
hanging in the JBTV studio until recently.

3. ULTIMATE TRIP TO AUSTRALIA FOR 2 PEOPLE
Donated by Down Under Endeavours, Inc.
Value: $19k (Yep! No typo here!)

Bid on the ultimate trip to Australia for 2 people generously donated by including:
• Roundtrip economy airfare for two from LAX to Sydney from American Airlines
• 11 nights accommodation at fancy properties in Port Douglas, Sydney, Melbourne and Hobart, Tasmania
• Activities that include a hot air balloon ride, trip to the Great Barrier Reef and a trip to the Daintree Rainforest, wine and wildlife day tour to Tasmania’s Maria Island and a cruise on the Sydney harbor
• Does not include Australian domestic flights or transfers but hey our American dollar goes far in Oz- those domestic flights won’t be too much more to add – what an amazing vacation!

02/12/2020

Today is the last day to get tickets online to the Love to Australia Bushfire Relief Fundraiser, being held at Bennett Day School tomorrow - February 13th (6-11pm). Tickets close tonight at 11:59pm.

Enjoy live music, comedy, Aussie sausage sizzle, live and a silent auction plus some of the best Australian desserts in the City!

Visit lovetoaustralia.com to buy your ticket today! Only a limited number will be available for purchase on the door, so get them today so as not to miss out!

02/11/2020

Countdown! --- Only 2-days to go until our Love to Australia Bushfire Relief Fundraiser on February 13th (6-11pm) at Bennett Day School! Enjoy live music, comedy, live and a silent auctions and more!

Online ticket sales close Wednesday, February 12th, 11:59pm. So visit lovetoaustralia.com to buy your ticket today!

Only a limited number of tickets will be available for purchase on the door on the night. So buy your ticket online today so as not to miss out on this good old Aussie fun and entertainment!