It was an emotional evening as the Hazelden Foundation, an addiction treatment organization, celebrated its Chicago Awards Benefit on Nov. 1. The dinner and ceremony, held at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, was punctuated with poignant testimonials of addiction and recovery from Hazelden patients, which left the 220-person audience moved — and aware of the importance of Hazelden’s work. The evening also honored Tom Ricketts, chairman of the Chicago Cubs, for his involvement with the Cubs Cares charity, and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation for its support of Hazelden’s new bullying prevention program. The benefit raised more than $330,000 to support Hazelden’s addiction treatment facility, patient treatment programs and sober-living residences. The Sun-Times was the media sponsor of this event. The Sun-Times Foundation and The Chicago Community Trust will match donations to Hazelden, up to a total of $25,000, now through February 1st, 2013. Donate now here. Story by Zak Stemer | Photos by Ramzi Dreessen

It was an emotional evening as the Hazelden Foundation, an addiction treatment organization, celebrated its Chicago Awards Benefit on Nov. 1. The dinner and ceremony, held at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, was punctuated with poignant testimonials of addiction and recovery from Hazelden patients, which left the 220-person audience moved — and aware of the importance of Hazelden’s work. The evening also honored Tom Ricketts, chairman of the Chicago Cubs, for his involvement with the Cubs Cares charity, and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation for its support of Hazelden’s new bullying prevention program. The benefit raised more than $330,000 to support Hazelden’s addiction treatment facility, patient treatment programs and sober-living residences.

The Sun-Times was the media sponsor of this event. The Sun-Times Foundation and The Chicago Community Trust will match donations to Hazelden, up to a total of $25,000, now through February 1st, 2013. Donate now here.

Story by Zak Stemer | Photos by Ramzi Dreessen