The Havana Day Dreaming event was started twelve years ago by four charitable-minded friends who, not happy with the current offering of dinner/charity events, decided to do their own. The four intrepid fundraisers decided to do a classy dinner with an open bar. The men all invited a few close friends and the evening went well. At the end of that first “small dinner event,” twenty-five men reached into their pockets and we presented Dr. Kevin McVary at Northwestern University’s, Feinberg School of Medicine a check for a modest $2,500 to use for research in Men’s Health.
The event caught on like wildfire, growing to 52 men in 2005, 110 men in 2006, 123 attendees in 2007, 160 men in 2008, 200 men in 2009, just under 300 men in 2010, almost 350 gentlemen in 2011, 350 guests at our 2012 and 2013 events, and 350 attendees at last year’s event! With the addition of an incredible live & silent auction, over the last twelve years we have raised over a half a million dollars ($500,000.00) for prostate cancer research and other men’s health issues!
Unlike many charities that have heavy “administrative” costs and actually return very little to the charity, the Havana Day Dreaming Charity Event returns ALL of its profits, after event expenses, to Dr. Robert Brannigan at Northwestern University’s, Feinberg School of Medicine for prostate cancer research and other men’s health issues. All Executive Board members, including myself, serve on a volunteer basis, along with the countless volunteers behind the scenes, who have over the past twelve years, helped make a significant difference in the lives of others.
The Havana Day Dreaming Charity Event is a tax-exempt charitable organization under sections 501(c)(3) and 170 (c) of the Internal Revenue Code. Please check out our Facebook page to learn more about this terrific charity event. We look forward to hopefully seeing you and your friends at this year’s event where we’ll share a dram of great single malt and some fine smokes!
Sincerely,
Michael Perry Ladin
Chairman of the Executive Board & Co-Founder
North Shore Men’s Health Initiative/Havana Day Dreaming Charity Event