Easterseals Serving Chicagoland and Rockford

02/20/2026

Our President and CEO, Sara Ray Hallman, was named a 2026 Titan 100 CEO, marking the second year in a row she has received this prestigious recognition! Last night’s Titan 100 Gala was a wonderful celebration of her achievements and those of her fellow Titans. Congratulations to Sara and all of those honored!

The Titan 100 program recognizes visionary leaders who are driving meaningful change, empowering communities, and building impactful, mission-driven organizations in Chicago and beyond.

Thank you, Sara, for your inspiring leadership and continued dedication to expanding possibilities for individuals of all abilities!

02/19/2026

We’re excited to announce that James Emmett, founder and CEO of James Emmett & Company (JEC), will be joining our distinguished panel at our upcoming Building Stronger Workforces Through Disability Inclusion event on March 10th.

James is a globally recognized leader in disability inclusion. An individual with a disability and the father of two daughters with disabilities, he brings both lived experience and deep expertise to his work. Through partnerships with companies including Walgreens, Lowe’s, Best Buy, and Advance Auto Parts, James has helped create over 100,000 jobs for people with disabilities.

See our full panel below and join us for this timely conversation on how economic empowerment for people with disabilities strengthens businesses and communities.

Register today—spots are limited: https://www.eastersealschicago.org/events/building-stronger-workforces-through-disability-inclusion

02/18/2026

A huge thank you to the Chicago Wolves for donating nearly 160 stuffed animals to the Easterseals Academy Chicago Campus!

These cuddly friends came from the Chicago Wolves’ annual Teddy Bear Toss during Saturday night’s game on February 14.

Special thanks to Ian Babcock, Community Relations Coordinator for the Wolves, for delivering the stuffed animals in person. We were also happy to gift Ian a custom HB Threads jacket as a small token of our appreciation.

We’re excited to share these with our students and know they’ll bring them so much joy! 🧸✨

Thank you for your continued support of our mission and our students!

02/13/2026

Congratulations to HB Threads associates David Cahill and Carter Sanders for competing in the Special Olympics Illinois' Winter Games this week! 👏❄️

Carter placed 4th in Alpine skiing, competing in both slalom and giant slalom, and David earned two Bronze medals in 100‑meter and 200‑meter snowshoeing. We’re incredibly proud of you both!

02/12/2026

At Easterseals Serving Chicagoland & Greater Rockford, we transform the lives of early learners and individuals of all abilities through expert educational, family, and community support. That’s why we’re excited to share a new partnership designed to support you and your loved ones.

We’ve partnered with FreeWill a secure online platform that helps you create or update your will in as little as 20 minutes. Through this exclusive partnership, this service is available to you and your family at no cost.

No matter your life stage or financial situation, having a will in place helps you:
• Designate trusted guardians for your children and pets
• Plan how your assets are distributed
• Choose to make a planned gift to Easterseals (if you wish)

We’re honored to be a partner with you in planning for the future. Including a gift to Easterseals is entirely optional, but it can help build a lasting legacy—one that empowers people of all abilities to live full lives with greater independence for generations to come.

To learn more about planned giving and other meaningful ways to give for the future, visit: https://eastersealschicago.mygiftlegacy.org/

02/10/2026

Join us for an empowering conversation on building inclusive workplaces!

Easterseals Serving Chicagoland & Greater Rockford invites business leaders, HR professionals, and advocates to “Building Stronger Workforces Through Disability Inclusion” — an in-person panel discussion exploring what it truly takes to create equitable, integrated, and future-ready workplaces.

📅 March 10th at 4:30–6:30 PM
📍 Impact House, 200 W Madison St, Chicago

At this event, you’ll gain insights on:

✨ What inclusive, integrated workforces look like
✨ Why disability inclusion benefits ALL employees
✨ How to prepare for Illinois’ upcoming shift to equitable wages under the Dignity in Pay Act
✨ Scalable models and real-world strategies from experts and leaders in the field

Featuring moderator Carrie Shepherd (Axios Chicago and panelists including Illinois State Rep Theresa Mah, Brad Cohen (AutonomyWorks) and Carter Sanders (HB Threads, Easterseals).

Let’s build workplaces that work for everyone.

Learn more and register: https://www.eastersealschicago.org/events/building-stronger-workforces-through-disability-inclusion

We transform the lives of early learners and individuals of all abilities through access to expert educational, family, and community support.

02/06/2026

Some moments stick with us—and this one definitely does. 🧡

We’re still smiling thinking about our time at Metra's Winter Wonderland and the opportunity to connect with the community through HB Threads.

Watch this video featuring HB Threads team members Korrey and Carter as they share their experience at our first Metra event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=immVDMnv4ak

Thank you to Metra for giving us this opportunity and for capturing these meaningful moments, and to our Mission Partner Huntington National Bank for sponsoring the free custom button-making experience and for being a continued champion of inclusion. Partnerships like these create impact that lasts well beyond a single event.

02/04/2026

🌟 SAVE THE DATE! 🌟

More information about registration will be coming soon.
✨ Spots will be limited
✨ Payment due up front
✨ Scholarships may become available
📍 Galena, Illinois

Hope WINS is beyond excited to collaborate on this incredibly needed event with our village partners
💛 StarNet Regions I and III
💛 Easterseals Serving Chicagoland and Rockford

This gathering has been thoughtfully created with community, care, and connection at its heart. More details are coming soon and trust us… this is one you won’t want to miss 🌿💫

Stay tuned 👀💛

02/04/2026

Recently, we had the honor of welcoming Tracy Garner, Chief Operating Officer at Easterseals, to our Gilchrist Marchman Child Development Center—one of our owned and operated Head Start facilities.

Thank you, Tracy, for taking the time to visit. We loved sharing our mission and highlighting the incredible work and dedication of our staff and students with you!

02/03/2026

Yesterday, we were excited to welcome President & CEO Peter Beale-DelVecchio and Champions Ball Co-Chair Anthony J. Bria from Special Olympics Illinois to our Easterseals Academy Chicago campus.

We loved giving them a tour, introducing them to our incredible students and staff, and connecting with the HB Threads team along the way. Thank you for spending time with us—we enjoyed sharing our mission and look forward to continuing to work together to advance inclusion.

01/30/2026

Recently, Easterseals’ Assistant Vice President of Early Learning Services, Amy Blythe, participated in a panel at the Civic Federation’s Building IDEC: Opportunities and Challenges Ahead event. She shared the importance of aligning funding and increasing flexibility—especially for children with disabilities—so early childhood programs can provide full-day, wraparound services that reflect how families truly live and work.

Thank you to Amy for representing Easterseals and to the Civic Federation for convening this important conversation!