Backyard Charity Carnivals
Abby Horan Charities' first ever fundraiser was led by Abby in the summer following her kindergarten graduation, in 1999. The fundraiser became an annual event for many years, raising a combined total of over $10,000 for local families in need. The 6th Annual Backyard Carnival (held in 2007), which benefited Emily, a six-year-old family friend of Abby's who passed away just a week before the event from leukemia, was the last of the backyard carnivals and definitely the biggest. With over 400 guests in attendance (including Miss Illinois and Grabowski, the Chicago Wolves mascot) and dozens of youth and adult volunteers, the last carnival raised over $5,500 for Emily's medical fund and Bear Necessities, an organization dedicated to fighting pediatric cancer. Thank you to all who helped the backyard carnivals become as successful as they were!
Pictures from the 6th Annual Backyard Carnival
History of the Backyard Charity Carnivals
1999: The first AHC fundraiser (which was technically the birth of Abby Horan Charities!) raised about $20 for a local teenager paralyzed from the neck down in a football injury.2000: The next event raised a slightly larger amount for the same teenager.
2002: This carnival benefited the memorial track at our local middle school, which was built in memory of a student who passed away unexpectedly from leukemia.
2004: The 2004 carnival was held in honor of a family friend who eventually succumbed to sarcoma (bone cancer). Proceeds ($217) went to a sarcoma research foundation.
2006: Our first "big" backyard carnival raised about $1,250 for Emily, a six-year-old family friend who was fighting leukemia, and her medical fund. We also raised money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation in Emily's honor.
2007: The last of our carnivals raised over $5,500 for Emily's medical fund and for Bear Necessities, a Chicago-based organization dedicated to helping those affected by pediatric cancer and fighting for a cure. Over 400 guests attended the event.