CHICAGO, Jan. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Landmarks Illinois will host its 2024 Preservation Forward spring fundraiser on February 29, 2024, at The Old Post Office in Chicago. Tickets and sponsorships are on sale for the inspiring evening event that will celebrate Landmarks Illinois’ transformational historic preservation work statewide and honor our 2024 Landmarks Illinois Influencers:
- Lisa Yun Lee, Executive Director of the National Public Housing Museum
- Juan Moreno, Project Design Principal, President & Founder of JGMA
- Shermann “Dilla” Thomas, Chicago Historian & Co-Founder of Chicago Mahogany Foundation
- HIRE360 (Nonprofit Influencer), represented by Jay Rowell, Executive Director
- Holsten Real Estate Development Corporation (Corporate Influencer), represented by Jackie Holsten, SVP & General Counsel, and Peter Holsten, President.
“Our 2024 Influencers are joining Landmarks Illinois in its effort to push the boundaries of preservation, including broadening access to the resources people need to save special places in their community,” Bonnie McDonald, President & CEO of Landmarks Illinois. “We are proud to amplify the voices of these community leaders, creative thinkers and activists who, through their innovative and important work, are building a more inclusive, connected and powerful preservation movement.”
Visit our website here to learn more about our 2024 Landmarks Illinois Influencers.
2024 Preservation Forward event details & registration
Preservation Forward is Landmarks Illinois’ biggest event of the year and its main fundraiser, responsible for raising nearly half of the annual budget for the organization’s mission-driven work. The event attracts like-minded professionals, including architects, developers, activists, artists, tradespeople and those engaged in community development, who gather for a shared mission: to support and uplift Landmarks Illinois’ efforts to help people save places across the state.
The 2024 Preservation Forward event will take place at The Old Post Office, 433 W. Van Buren St., in Chicago from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. The event features a cocktail reception, an entertaining main program that honors the 2024 Landmarks Illinois Influencers and includes an engaging paddle raise and raffle, followed by dinner and an after-party. For dinner, guests will be treated to a unique culinary experience featuring an array of specially curated food stations. Thoughtfully selected desserts from local bakers and pastry chefs will accompany continued networking opportunities and games at the after-party.
Tickets for 2024 Preservation Forward can be purchased at Landmarks Illinois’ website at Landmarks.org/events/preservation-forward. Reservations for the full event are $500 (for-profit price) and $250 (nonprofit price). Tickets for the after-party only can be purchased for $35-$95. A free, virtual attendance option is also available for the main program. Sponsorship and underwriting opportunities can be purchased at our website.
History & significance of The Old Post Office
A major draw of Preservation Forward is the event’s venue —The Old Post Office — which provides an impressive and stunning backdrop for the already exciting evening. Built in 1921 and expanded in 1934, the former post office is one of the largest and most visible buildings in Chicago’s Loop. After the United States Postal Service moved out in 1996, the post office long sat empty, unused and deteriorating. Landmarks Illinois included the building on its 1997 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois list and continued to advocate for its reuse for the next two decades. A massive rehabilitation of the structure beginning in 2018 has transformed the 13-story, 2.5-million-square-foot Art Deco building into an extraordinary event venue that also provides retail and office space.
The Old Post Office remains one of the city’s most spectacular buildings. Today it is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is a designated Chicago Landmark. Guests of Preservation Forward will have the opportunity to experience multiple spaces inside the historic site: from the fully restored lobby and grand hall featuring century-old original fixtures, white marble and gold glass mosaics, to the new food hall and second-floor Telegram Lounge. Click here to learn more about The Old Post Office and Landmarks Illinois’ sustained advocacy for the building.
About Landmarks Illinois
We are People Saving Places for People. Landmarks Illinois is a membership-based, historic preservation nonprofit organization serving the people of Illinois. We inspire and empower stakeholders to save places that matter to them by providing free guidance, practical and financial resources and access to strategic partnerships. For more information, visit www.Landmarks.org.
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