A rainy downpour couldn’t stop the outpouring of support for CEL Members at the 28th Annual Golf Tournament!

Illinois ranks 49th in support for people with disabilities, so independently-supported resources like CEL are lifelines for our members.

Thunderstorms threatened to wash out this year’s golf tournament fundraiser that provides vital programs and services to people with developmental disabilities. Yet when registration opened, the bright, smiling faces of sponsors, volunteers, and supporters showed up and raised over $400,000 – even when golf was canceled!

Thank you!

We appreciate all of our sponsors for their generous support of CEL: Title Sponsor AIT Worldwide Logistics, Major Sponsors Arrow, Ingram Micro/Fortinet, Microsoft, NetApp/TD SYNNEX, Eaton, BlueStar, Climb Channel Solutions, Dell Technologies, Proline Options, Adobe, our outstanding friends at CDW, and all of our other incredibly generous sponsors. 

Click here to make a donation now. 

Our keynote speaker, Board Member Kristin Malek, shared about the mission of CEL through her own personal experience as a proud mother of two daughters, Katelynn (who has Down syndrome) and Kendall.

Kristin said, “I wish that when Katelynn was born with Down syndrome, instead of hearing profound silence, I would have been told that her life was going to be as wonderful as it is, that our community would grow, and that we would be supported by places like CEL – it would have saved me years of worry and angst.

As Katelynn’s mother, I will never waiver in my love, support, and belief in her. I have learned to understand, truly, what real acceptance means and that everyone is different, unique, and valuable. Our family has found resources like CEL that will empower her to Experience Life’s Possibilities over the next several decades.“

If you know someone with an intellectual or developmental disability, make sure they know about all of the programs CEL provides:

• REACH, our day program for adults 18+ to continue social and educational enrichment after high school.
• Social programs, offered 7 days a week, virtually and in-person, that cover a huge variety of topics and interests.
• Employment opportunities for career discovery, job training, and placement within the community (Click here to watch the video on our Employment program).

CEL has nearly 450 members in the local area and many are looking for meaningful, paid employment. Our experienced staff works with your business to identify your needs and opportunities to hire qualified, pre-screened candidates for the job. Please consider how your company would be enriched through the diversity of hiring someone with a disability. Contact [email protected] to set up a no-obligation conversation.

On behalf of our Board of Directors, thanks again for joining us at this year’s CEL’s Golf Tournament and for your support providing our members with a world of opportunities for them to shine!

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