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The Champaign Parks Foundation will be hosting its third annual Ties & Tennies Gala on Sep. 4, 2025, at the I Hotel. This fundraising gala combines formality with fun to celebrate the meaningful impact of parks and recreation in the city of Champaign! To headline the event, the Foundation is deeply honored and thrilled to welcome Fighting Illini Women’s Basketball Head Coach, Shauna Green, to deliver an inspiring speech. Attendees can also expect drinks, a plated dinner, and silent and live auction items.
Get your tickets now: https://bit.ly/TiesTennies2025
Jennifer Roscoe will serve as the night’s delightful emcee, while Maggie Baker Productions provides enjoyable music and Mike Namoff dynamically presents the live auction portion of the evening.
Come help us beat our fundraising goal of $125,000, in efforts to increase access to green spaces, reduce barriers to programming and physical activity, and augment the overall well-being of all residents in Champaign!
This year’s gala will also celebrate its two traditional awards for remarkable supporters of the Champaign Park District's mission. The 2025 Champion Award, which honors an individual who has been a major supporter and advocate for the Champaign Park District’s work, will be presented to Nate Dixon. Dixon worked for Champaign Park District for 27 years and has generously served in multiple positions and assisted with a variety of initiatives, most notably with Douglass Park.
The Newt Dodds Legacy Award recognizes a donor who has left lasting support to the Champaign Parks Foundation through one significant gift, ongoing contributions, or a bequest. This year's Legacy Award will be presented to Richard Noel and the Noel Family. The Noel Family has a long and rich history of supporting Champaign Park District initiatives, including a land donation to the Park District in 1965, which became the Morrissey Park residents love and enjoy today.
All proceeds raised at the Ties & Tennies Gala will go toward the Champaign Park District Scholarship Program. Ties & Tennies remains a crucial fundraiser, bridging some of the need-to-resources gap, as the number of scholarship requests and awards continues to grow every year. Champaign residents use scholarships for a variety of activities, including sports, cultural arts, afterschool programs, summer camp, swim lessons, and preschool. From April 2024 to March 2025, over $93,000 in scholarship funds was awarded to families in need of financial assistance.
Thank you to our sponsors:
Platinum
GHR Engineers, Lynn Ryle, Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend
Gold
CIBM Bank, Fisher National Bank, Pepsi Cola Champaign-Urbana Bottling Co, MH CPA PLLC, IL American Water, The Dodds Co., Body N Sole Sports
Silver
Athletico, Commerce Bank, Harrington Law Firm, LLC, Coldwell Banker Commercial Devonshire Realty, Ramshaw Realty, U of I Community Credit Union, Litania Sports Group, Petry-Kuhne, Human Kinetics
Busey Bank
Bronze
The Atkins Group, Sam & Maureen Banks, Cozad Asset Management, First Mid Bank, INB (Bank), IPI Wealth Management, Katie Zimmerman, The Libman Company, Needful Things, DECA, Meijer (Champaign Store #146), Barb and Dave Kuhl
Copper
Baird Public Finance, PFM
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
I Hotel and Illinois Conference Center, 1900 S 1st St, Champaign, IL 61820-7450, United States
Tickets
