2017 First Look Charity Chicago Auto Show charity benefit raises $2.8 million

CHICAGO (Feb. 10) — Eighteen area charities tonight shared more than $2.8 million raised by the 2017 Chicago Auto Show’s benevolent event, First Look for Charity, and two attendees left with the keys to new cars.

The black-tie benefit, which is held the evening before the auto show opens its 10-day public run, raised $2,817,590, boosting its total to more than $47.5 million over 26 years. 

“First Look for Charity is a great instrument for the area’s new-car dealers to show the positive impact they have on their community,” said Mike McGrath, chairman of this year’s auto show. “All the benefiting charities are involved locally, so the money that’s raised in Chicago stays in Chicago.”

As the name of the event implies, those who attend First Look for Charity are part of the premier viewing of each year’s Chicago Auto Show. Tickets to the fund-raiser are $275 each, and purchasers can elect to have their proceeds equally benefit all participating charities, or any one charity or any one charity of their choosing. For the event, the auto show floor is replete with live entertainment and a variety of food and beverage stations.

A highlight of the evening was the drawing for the event’s grand prizes, a 2017 Lexus NX and a 2017 Acura TLX. Carpentersville’s Shane McDaniel won the former and Terry Miller, of Valparaiso, Ind., won the latter. 

The proceeds McDaniel’s ticket purchase benefited Advocate Health Care. Miller directed his funds to the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, another of the event’s 18 benefiting nonprofits.

Other organizations involved in the 2017 First Look for Charity included the 100 Club of Chicago, Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Joliet, Clearbrook, and The Cradle.

Also, Franciscan Community Benefit Services, Franciscan Health Olympia Fields/Chicago Heights, the Ray Graham Association for People with Disabilities, JDRF, and Susan G. Komen Chicago.

And, March of Dimes, Misericordia, Special Olympics Illinois, the Turning Pointe Autism Foundation, and the Jesse White Tumbling Team.

The TLX was compliments of Acura Division of American Honda Motor Co., Inc.; and the NX was provided by Lexus Division of Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.