Please join us at the 2010 Gala to be held at the Galleria Marchetti. With a slate of new and exciting raffle and silent auction prizes, this year's Gala is shaping up to be one of our best ever!

The Illinois Center for Violence Prevention selected Rita Canning and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois to receive its 2009 Vision to Action Award for exemplary leadership in advancing safe families and communities.

Long committed to providing solutions for survivors of domestic violence, Rita Canning founded the Palatine Home of the Sparrow that operates transitional shelter programs for those affected by domestic abuse. From there, she became affiliated with the WINGS Program which helps abused women and children by offering integrated services that meet their needs for shelter, education, guidance and support in northwestern Cook County. Rita was the visionary who brought the first Safe House to the Northwest suburbs in 2005.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois has demonstrated its corporate leadership by supporting and actively participating in violence prevention efforts for more than seventeen years. From in-kind support, to underwriting, to board and committee participation Blue Cross Blue Shield is an excellent model of corporate social responsibility. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois' leadership is represented on numerous non-profit boards. Its support of Illinois' violence prevention efforts enables both non-profits and government to learn from their expertise, as well as advance their missions in ways that would not have otherwise been possible.

NBC-5’s LeeAnn Trotter served as emcee, with live music provided by the J. Styles Band