The Eighth Annual Legacy Guild’s Spring Event FUNdraiser, held February 29 at Fitzgerald’s in Berwyn, raised more than $145,000 net dollars thanks to the overwhelming generosity and support of so many.

The Legacy Guild has provided more than $900,000 in college scholarship awards to 150 area scholars who have lost a parent since its inception in 2012.

One key sponsor since the beginning of the charity has been FNBC Bank & Trust. During the event, Legacy Guild President Bill Carney presented Marty Madden, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer at FNBC Bank & Trust, with the Community Champion Award. This award was presented to FNBC Bank & Trust for their dedication to improving the Lyons Township Community through their generous support of local charitable organizations.

Chairs of this year’s event were Legacy Guild Board Members Russ Riberto and Ryan Williamson along with Liam Bresnahan (all from La Grange, IL).

Co-Chair Russ Riberto commented, “We are so grateful for all the support we receive from this community. We appreciate that people are sharing and more are learning about our organization and how our scholarships, mentoring, and networking benefit our scholars and their families. This fundraiser is a wonderful opportunity for those in our community to get together and have fun while raising a lot of money for others in our community.”

Co-Chair Liam Bresnahan said, “This year over 340 people attended and had a great time dancing to a fun band, eating and connecting with each other.” He added, “Thanks to many incredible donors and bidders, we also had an amazing auction.”

In addition to providing college scholarships, the Guild and volunteer members provide mentoring to these students. The Legacy Guild is now accepting scholarship applications for next school year. Applications can be found at www.TheLegacyGuild.com and are due April 15.

More than 90 applicants are expected, another record number of students who need support. Donations can be made on the website as well. The Legacy Guild is designated as a federal 501(c)(3) charitable organization and registered with the State of IL.

The Legacy Guild was formed by a group of men from the La Grange area in 2012 who were drawn together after a cluster of sudden and unexpected deaths of treasured friends and neighbors. The organization formed within weeks of these tragic events to offer support to each other and to transcend our grief to provide fellowship to men in the community and assist students who have lost a parent with scholarships and mentoring.