The 30th Anniversary Cara Gala presented by Jim & Kay Mabie
Our signature event, the 30th Anniversary Cara Gala presented by Jim and Kay Mabie went virtual as we marked 30 years of transforming lives and communities. We also honored a civic and philanthropic visionary, Martin H. Nesbitt, with the Trailblazer Award and a Cara alum, Raahsaan Brown, with the Jesse Teverbaugh Distinguished Alumni Award. See below to watch our virtual Gala, read our program book, and support more job seekers like Raahsaan on their road up from poverty.
If you missed our event, there is still an opportunity to help fuel our next 30 years of this work. You can experience our program below, and if you feel compelled by the stories like Raahsaan’s, please consider making a gift to support this work.
Honoring
Martin H. Nesbitt
Trailblazer Award
Raahsaan Brown
Jesse Teverbaugh Distinguished Alumni Award
Our Virtual Gala
Filter Categories
Host
Testimonial
Remarks
Story
Apply Categories
Host
Opening Remarks
Cara and Cleanslate Alum JaShawn Hill welcomes guests to our 30th Anniversary Cara Gala presented by Jim & Kay Mabie.
Host
Opening Remarks
Cara and Cleanslate Alum JaShawn Hill welcomes guests to our 30th Anniversary Cara Gala presented by Jim & Kay Mabie.
Testimonial
Senator Durbin
Senator Dick Durbin has a special message for attendees of the 30th Anniversary Cara Gala presented by Jim & Kay Mabie.
Story
30 Years of Transforming Lives
To mark our 30th anniversary, members of the Cara staff, past and present, reflect on the early days of the organization, why community is the core of what we do, and where we are headed in our next 30 years.
Testimonial
Mayor Lightfoot
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has a special message for attendees of the 30th Anniversary Cara Gala presented by Jim & Kay Mabie.
Testimonial
Miguel Cervantes
Miguel Cervantes, star of the Chicago production of Hamilton has a special message for attendees of the 30th Anniversary Cara Gala presented by Jim & Kay Mabie.
Story
Raahsaan’s Story
Cara’s 2021 Jesse Teverbaugh Distinguished Alumni Award honoree, Raahsaan Brown, shares his story of transforming his life after a life on the streets, and how he uses his past experiences to inspire future generations to break the cycle.
Testimonial
Linda “The Lottery Lady” Kollmeyer
Linda “The Lottery Lady” Kollmeyer has a special message for attendees of the 30th Anniversary Cara Gala presented by Jim & Kay Mabie.
Testimonial
President Preckwinkle
Cook County Board of Commissioners President Toni Preckwinkle has a special message for attendees of the 30th Anniversary Cara Gala presented by Jim & Kay Mabie.
Host
Jesse Teverbaugh Award Intro
Cara’s Director of Student & Alumni Affairs, Jesse Teverbaugh, introduces our 2021 Jesse Teverbaugh Distinguished Alumni Award honoree, Raahsaan Brown as part of our 30th Anniversary Cara Gala presented by Jim & Kay Mabie.
Remarks
Raahsaan Brown’s Remarks
Our 2021 Jesse Teverbaugh Distinguished Alumni Award honoree Raahsaan Brown delivers his remarks to the virtual attendees of the 30th Anniversary Cara Gala presented by Jim & Kay Mabie.
Testimonial
Diana Palomar
Diana Palomar of ABC7 has a special message for attendees of the 30th Anniversary Cara Gala presented by Jim & Kay Mabie.
Testimonial
Tony Kukoc
Three-time NBA Champion and Chicago Bull Tony Kukoc has a special message for attendees of the 30th Anniversary Cara Gala presented by Jim & Kay Mabie.
Story
Trailblazer Award
Marty Nesbitt shares what makes a trailblazer and what is needed to shift perspectives and create real change in our communities, as he accepts the Trailblazer Award at the 30th Anniversary Cara Gala presented by Jim & Kay Mabie.
Testimonial
Michael Strautmanis
Michael Strautmanis of The Barack Obama Foundation has a special message for attendees of the 30th Anniversary Cara Gala presented by Jim & Kay Mabie.
Testimonial
Tom Skilling
WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling has a special message for attendees of the 30th Anniversary Cara Gala presented by Jim & Kay Mabie.
Host
Pernorris Brownridge
Cara alum Pernorris Brownridge shares his story of transformation with attendees of the 30th Anniversary Cara Gala presented by Jim & Kay Mabie.
Remarks
Maria Kim’s Remarks
Cara Collective President & CEO Maria Kim addresses the virtual attendees of the 30th Anniversary Cara Gala presented by Jim & Kay Mabie and shares how Cara continues to work to shift perspectives in employment and create opportunity for all.
Story
Alumni Thank You
The alumni of Cara have a special message to the supporters who’ve made our first 30 years possible, as part of our 30th Anniversary Cara Gala presented by Jim & Kay Mabie.
Host
Closing Remarks
Cara Alumn Philile Mabuza shares her story of fleeing her native Swaziland to escape domestic violence – and how the community she found at Cara empowered her to build a new life for her and her family, to help close out our 30th Anniversary Cara Gala presented by Jim & Kay Mabie.
Support our Mission
Help fuel the next 30 years of this work with a gift of support. Plus, thanks to an extended match from our friends at Northwestern Medicine, all donations made to our Gala for the rest of this month will be matched dollar for dollar up to $20,000!
Read our Gala Program Book
Thank You to our Sponsors
