EVENING WITH THE STARS, CHICAGO’S PREMIER OSCAR PARTY, RAISES OVER $100,000 FOR AUTISM SPEAKS.

The third annual, An Evening with the Stars celebrated the Oscars in style on February 24, at the Chicago Center for the Performing Arts.

Hosted by NBC5’s Zoraida Sambolin and Dick Johnson, the elegant affair brought the glitz and glamour of Hollywood to the Windy City, featuring live coverage of the red carpet arrivals and pre-show interviews of the guests on the big screen inside the auditorium. Serving as the "Man on the red carpet" was Chicago funny humorist Joe "Steffers" Stephen.

VIP guests enjoyed an extravagant pre show dinner by Marcello’s, while enjoying the piano jazz stylings of Peter Polzack.

From the red carpet arrivals, to the exotic drinks, to the allure and charisma of the attendees, this Oscar® event was a not to be missed affair. The 80th Annual Academy Awards® telecast was the backdrop for this special night. During breaks in the telecast, Richard Roeper, Honorary Chairperson of the event, author, columnist and host of nationally syndicated At the Movies with Ebert and Roeper, appeared via taped segments encouraging people to support Autism Speaks.

Autism Speaks co-founders Bob and Suzanne Wright also got into the Hollywood spirit with a taped segment about the organization that incorporated all five of the Best Picture nominees into their address.

Families affected by Autism in their lives gave the campaign a human face as they passionately addressed the house with their personal and touching stories. David Royko, son of legendary Chicago Sun-Times Columnist Mike Royko, and his family were one of the five families highlighted. This segment culminated with a video presentation by Charlotte Bolle, a new mother whose young daughter, Claudia, has recently been diagnosed. The piece entitled, "Claudia," was set to the Academy Award® winning song, "Falling Slowly," by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, from the film "Once." (watch the video below)

Mark Roithmayr, President and CEO of Autism Speaks enthusiastically addressed the crowd of nearly 300, thanking everyone for their support for Autism advocacy and awareness.

Event co-chairpersons Spike and Tami Manton took the microphone to recognize the multitude of people responsible for making this event an overwhelming success.

Spike Manton also served as the events live auctioneer, working the room with auction items that included a trip to Hollywood, A trip to Mexico, and Passes for the hardest ticket in town, the Oprah Winfrey show. Other auction items included everything from jewelry and exotic vacation destinations to an opportunity to work in the pit at a NASCAR® race.

Following the very successful event, Tami and Spike Manton said, "We are so happy and thankful to see the beautiful, generous crowd that turned out to support Autism Speaks."

An Evening with the Stars founder and parent of a child with Autism Dan Schlaack added, "When we created An Evening with the Stars it was our way to give something back to those families who, like ourselves were dealt the devastating diagnosis of Autism. Three years later, we are thrilled and honored that this little party has contributed over a quarter of a million dollars to Autism research and advocacy."

An Evening with the Stars was made possible through the corporate sponsorship of
Grant Thornton, Harris Bank, BMO Financial, Navigant Consulting, Grant Thornton, Abbott, and Northern Trust.

A special thanks goes out to the hundreds of individuals, businesses, and volunteers whose support made this years event a phenomenal success!

Join us on the red carpet next year on Sunday, February 22, 2009

Autism Speaks, founded in 2005 by former Chief Executive of NBC Universal and current Vice Chairman, General Electric Bob Wright and his wife, Suzanne, is dedicated to increasing awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorders, to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and cure for Autism, and to advocating for the needs of affected families.

This event is not affiliated with nor endorsed by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences®.

At Autism Speaks, our goal is to change the future for all who struggle with autism spectrum disorders.

We are dedicated to funding global biomedical research into the causes, prevention, treatments, and cure for autism; to raising public awareness about autism and its effects on individuals, families, and society; and to bringing hope to all who deal with the hardships of this disorder. We are committed to raising the funds necessary to support these goals.

Autism Speaks aims to bring the autism community together as one strong voice to urge the government and private sector to listen to our concerns and take action to address this urgent global health crisis. It is our firm belief that, working together, we will find the missing pieces of the puzzle.

Autism Speaks. It's time to listen.