for immediate release

All Aboard! Wonderland Express Dinner

Raises Nearly $300,000 for Chicago Botanic Garden

Media Only:
Julie McCaffrey
(847) 835-8213
jmccaffrey@chicagobotanic.org

GLENCOE, Ill. (Dec. 11, 2008)—The Woman's Board of the Chicago Horticultural Society held the third annual All Aboard! Wonderland Express dinner on Thursday, December 4. More than 375 guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d'oeuvres in and amongst the Garden’s 10,000 square-foot indoor winter exhibition of garden scale trains, winter flora and over 80 iconic Chicago landmarks while the Joe Vito Trio played. The event raised nearly $300,000 to benefit the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center, which will provide state-of-the-art laboratories and teaching facilities for more than 200 Ph.D. scientists, land managers, students and interns whose research is critical to fulfill the Garden's efforts to save our planet, by saving our plants.

Dinner, prepared by Calihan Catering, was served in three "dining cars" named for international destinations: Shanghai Express featured an Asian theme with black and red colors, St. Petersburg featured a wintry theme with white drapes washed in ice blue light and Rive Gauche featured a Parisian look in black and white. Guests enjoyed an amuse-bouche of roasted vegetable timbale with herbed goat cheese before the first course of beet carpaccio with orange segments, parmesan and field greens. The entree was braised beef short ribs, truffled mashed potatoes and haricot verts in a leek thread. Wine served was Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon from Tunnel of Elms, a sustainable Napa Valley vineyard. Dessert was a chocolate souffle with whipped cream and raspberries.

The major sponsor of All Aboard! was ComEd; supporting sponsor was National City. Other sponsors included Drinker Biddle & Reath, Enaz, Inc., Frost Lighting Company, HDO Productions, Health Port LLC, Mr. and Mrs. Patrick J. Haynes III, Heffernan Morgan, HSBC-North America, Masonry by Fernando, Inc., Scott Byron & Company, Inc. and Toffee Traditions.

All Aboard! will be held on Thursday, December 3, 2009. Call (847) 835-6944 for tickets and information.

The Chicago Botanic Garden is located at 1000 Lake Cook Road in Glencoe, IL. For more information about any of the Chicago Botanic Garden’s programs and events, call (847) 835-5440, or visit www.chicagobotanic.org.

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Editors, please note: The Chicago Botanic Garden's newsroom is online at www.chicagobotanic.org/pr. For digital images, contact Julie McCaffrey at (847) 835-8213 or at jmccaffrey@chicagobotanic.org.

The Chicago Botanic Garden, one of the treasures of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, is a 385-acre living plant museum featuring 23 distinct display gardens surrounded by lakes, as well as a prairie and woodlands. With events, programs and activities for all ages, the Garden is open every day of the year. Admission is free; select event fees apply. Parking is $15; free for members. On Tuesdays, senior citizens age 62 and older pay just $7 for parking. The Garden is located at 1000 Lake Cook Road in Glencoe, Ill. Visit www.chicagobotanic.org, or call (847) 835-5440 for seasonal hours, images of the Garden and commuter transportation information.

The Chicago Botanic Garden is managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society. It opened to the public in 1972 and is home to the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden, offering a broad array of adult classes in plant science, landscape design and gardening arts. Through the Division of Plant Science and Conservation, Garden scientists work on plant conservation, research and environmental initiatives that have global impact. The Center for Teaching and Learning brings the wonder of nature and plants to children, teens and teachers. The Garden's Horticultural Therapy and Community Gardening programs provide nationally recognized community outreach and service programs. The Garden is also breaking new ground in urban horticulture and jobs training through a 15-acre project in the North Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago called Windy City Harvest. The Chicago Botanic Garden is accredited by the American Association of Museums and is a member of the American Public Gardens Association (APGA). In 2006, the Chicago Botanic Garden received the Award for Garden Excellence, given yearly by the APGA and Horticulture magazine to a public garden that exemplifies the highest standards of horticultural practices and has shown a commitment to supporting and demonstrating best gardening practices.