This monthly event is for all interested Bridge players, and includes members who play Basic Social Bridge as well

as Intermediate/Advanced Bridge players.

(Please be aware that you need a basic knowledge of

Bridge in order to participate).

Join your IWA friends in a fun and friendly game of Mah Jongg! There is nothing more exciting than when, with your heart racing, your adrenaline pumping, your palms sweating, and you call "Mah Jongg"!

ALL LEVELS ARE WELCOME! A refresher lesson will be given at the beginning of each meeting.

Date: Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Time: 10:15 AM - 11:30 AM; tour starts promptly at 10:30 AM

Location: Lurie Garden - Millennium Park:

220 E Monroe St, Chicago, IL 60601

Experience springtime beauty while learning about Lurie Garden, Millennium Park’s naturalistic five-acre urban oasis, a place of rest and renewal for humans and wildlife.

See map below for the meeting place. We will meet in the plaza area of Millennium Park along the west side of Lurie Garden closest to the Monroe Street entrance - across the street from the Art Institute’s Modern Wing entrance.

This walking tour is just over one hour long. There are some stairs.

Registration required. Free tour for IWA members and

prospective members, one guest per member.

Registration closes Tuesday, April 22.

Maximum 30 Members and Guests

Address to enter into GPS: 210 E. Monroe Street, Chicago.

IWA Contacts: Judy Mischel, jsmischel@gmail.com (708-220-2503),

Dell Harmsen, dellzee4@gmail.com (312-515-0317)

The IWA Philanthropy and Community Service committee invites you to take part in our Swift School Classroom Helpers volunteer program for the new school year, beginning Thursday, November 7th. 

Volunteers are needed to assist teachers in kindergarten through 8th grade in a variety of tasks, whether with small groups of students or in other supportive activities in the classroom. No special skills are required! 

A Chicago Public School with many immigrant and refugee students, George B. Swift Specialty School has a close and long-running relationship with IWA and is a major benefactor of our Philanthropy and Community Service efforts.

Sessions are available the first two Thursdays of each month throughout the school year from 8:45 - 10:45 a.m. Sign up for dates that work for your schedule. The kids will be happy to see you!

Please register by April 28th.

Swift School is in the Edgewater neighborhood and easily accessible by public transportation. Street parking is also available.

Contact Dell Harmsen at Dellzee4@gmail.com or 312-515-0317 for more information. 

We hope you will join us for this important and meaningful volunteer opportunity!

Date: Tuesday, May 6th, 2025

Time: 10:30 am social; 11 am program in French

Location: Tenant Lounge "State Room" #925, 17 N State Street

Come and join us to share your thoughts about a book, read in any language of your choice, which you enjoyed reading; come prepared to give a short summary in French of the story/plot and what aspect appealed to you.

RSVP by May 4th to Nadej Mercier, nadej@letien.net, 312-399-8836 or register on the IWA website.

Refreshments are welcome.

The IWA Philanthropy and Community Service committee invites you to take part in our Swift School Classroom Helpers volunteer program for the new school year, beginning Thursday, November 7th. 

Volunteers are needed to assist teachers in kindergarten through 8th grade in a variety of tasks, whether with small groups of students or in other supportive activities in the classroom. No special skills are required! 

A Chicago Public School with many immigrant and refugee students, George B. Swift Specialty School has a close and long-running relationship with IWA and is a major benefactor of our Philanthropy and Community Service efforts.

Sessions are available the first two Thursdays of each month throughout the school year from 8:45 - 10:45 a.m. Sign up for dates that work for your schedule. The kids will be happy to see you!

Please register by May 5th.

Swift School is in the Edgewater neighborhood and easily accessible by public transportation. Street parking is also available.

Contact Dell Harmsen at Dellzee4@gmail.com or 312-515-0317 for more information. 

We hope you will join us for this important and meaningful volunteer opportunity!

There will not be a North Shore meeting this May.

Please join fellow IWA members at our annual Gala celebrating the

United Kingdom on May 9th at Venue West from 6-11 pm.

You and your guests are cordially invited to join the 2025 IWA Annual Fundraising Gala to celebrate the United Kingdom! 

This Exciting Evening Includes:

Cocktail Reception

Raffle Ticket Sales

Bagpipe Performance

UK-Inspired Dinner

Live Auction

DJ and Dancing

Register today to purchase tickets or sponsorships!

If you are unable to join us for the gala, please consider: 

• Making a donation (Click here to donate)
• Donating an item to the raffle or live auction (Click here for Digital Form and Printable Form)
• Purchasing a full or half page ad in the Program Book (Click here for Digital Form and Printable Form)

Thank you for your support

Questions?

Please email iwa@iwachicago.org or call 312-263-1421 or 

contact Gala Co-Chairs, Nicola Crowe and Carolyn LeBlanc-Blatt.

“CHEERS, SLÀINTE MHATH, IECHYD DA, SLÁINTE”

CELEBRATING THE UNITED KINGDOM

IWA Annual Gala  Sponsorship Opportunities

Friday, May 9, 2025

6:00 p.m.

Venue West

QUEEN @ $10,000 includes:

Premier table for ten at the Gala

Prominent acknowledgement at the Gala

Presenting partner recognition in IWA publications

Premium placement two-page ad in the Gala Program Book*

Group photo of you and your guests

PRINCESS @ $5,000 includes:

Premier table for ten at the Gala

Special recognition at the Gala and in IWA publications

Premium placement full-page ad in the Gala Program Book*

Group photo of you and your guests

DUCHESS @ $2,500 includes:

Four tickets to the Gala

Premium seating at the Gala

Special recognition in the Gala Program Book*

Full-page ad in the Gala Program Book

COUNTESS @ $1,000 includes:

Two tickets to the Gala

Premium seating at the Gala

Special recognition in the Gala Program Book*

All sponsorships and donations will be recognized in the Gala Program Book.

*Premium placement includes outside back cover, inside of front cover, inside of back cover, and centerfold pages.

For questions please contact iwa@iwachicago.org or (312) 263-1421.

Thank you for your generous support!

Program Book Ads and Tribute Pages

“CHEERS, SLÀINTE MHATH, IECHYD DA, SLÁINTE”

CELEBRATING THE UNITED KINGDOM

IWA Annual Gala

Friday, May 9, 2024

Venue West

Please click "Register" to submit the form and documents for the program book. Details below!

Please note that we only accept the following formats: JPG or PNG

Program Book Size: 8”x8” with ¼” space between ads and in margins.

Full Page Ad Size: 7½” tall x 7½” wide

Half Page: Horizontal: 3⅝” tall x 7½” wide OR Vertical: 7½” tall x 3⅝” wide

DEADLINE TO SUBMIT: March 28th, 2025

Please contact iwa@iwachicago.org or 312-263-1421 with questions.

Thank you for your support!

Book: Eastbound
Author: Maylis de Kerangal

Discussion Leader: Barbara Herzog

Literature Discussion Chairs: Barbara Herzog and Teresa Kennedy

Book Description: Two fugitives on the Trans Siberian Railway where a desperate Russian conscript hopes a chance encounter with a French woman will help him escape. 

The Literature Group offers members an international perspective in literary fiction by introducing acclaimed, if sometimes lesser known, writers and books. Members are invited to attend by Zoom, although we request that only those who have read the book participate in discussion.

Date: Thursday, May 15th, 2025

Time: 4:00pm-6:00pm

Location: 600 S Michigan, Chicago, IL 60605

Program: Shore | Lines is a photo exhibition by Chicago-based artist Regina Agu, who presents a large-scale panoramic installation at the Museum of Contemporary Photography (MOCP). The exhibit traces sites and legacies of historical Black North American migration. Agu’s work focuses on connecting the landscapes, materiality, and human histories of the Gulf South region to the Great Lakes.

The tour will be led by Asha Iman Veal, Associate Curator at the MOCP.

Cost: Admission is free

Maximum Attendance: 30

Parking: Pay-to-park is available on Harrison St. at the north entrance of the museum, on Wabash Ave., and surrounding streets.

Public Transportation: The Harrison Red Line, LaSalle Blue Line, or Harold Washington & Van Buren Brown/Green/Pink/Orange/Purple Line are all walking distance from MoCP.

In case of questions contact: Pat Naparsteck (pnaparsteck@sbcglobal.net) or Emilie Chandler (eachand47@gmail.com)

This monthly event is for all interested Bridge players, and includes members who play Basic Social Bridge as well

as Intermediate/Advanced Bridge players.

(Please be aware that you need a basic knowledge of

Bridge in order to participate).

Wednesday, May 21, 2025

4:30 - 6:30 PM

Kirei Atrium Room in the historic Whitehall Hotel, 105 E Delaware Place

Join us for this private happy hour with IWA friends! Learn about celebrity stays in this historic, luxury boutique hotel including Katharine Hepburn, The Beatles, Mick Jagger, and many more. 

Happy hour specials, Asian dishes, brick oven pizza, and bar menu items will be available for purchase. Click here to see the whole food menu.

Maximum: 20 IWA Members and guests.

IWA Contacts: 

Lucia Lee, 262-349-0532, lucialee168@yahoo.com

Dell Harmsen, 312-515-0317, dellzee@gmail.com

The IWA office will be closed in observance of Memorial Day. 

We hope you have a safe and happy holiday!

Join your IWA friends in a fun and friendly game of Mah Jongg! There is nothing more exciting than when, with your heart racing, your adrenaline pumping, your palms sweating, and you call "Mah Jongg"!

ALL LEVELS ARE WELCOME! A refresher lesson will be given at the beginning of each meeting.

Save The Date!

Japanese Tea Ceremony at the Japanese Cultural Center

May 28th

Contact: Yoko Mosher

More details to follow!

Save The Date!

New Member Celebration & Open House

Thursday, May 29

3:00 - 5:00 PM

IWA Office, 17 N State St, Suite 1760

More details to come!

Enjoy a morning of coffee and conversation with IWA members.

Stop by for as little or as long as you'd like between 10:30am and 12pm. 

All IWA members and potential new members are welcome!

Director for Membership: Ria Rörich

This Board Meeting will be held in person. If you are going to be out of town but plan to attend, please contact Celia for registration.

Friday, June 13, 2025

7:30 pm

The Joffrey Ballet, 10 E Randolph Street

Support the 2025 UK Gala by registering to attend a performance of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland at The Joffrey Ballet!

"Plunge down the rabbit hole into the fantastical world of Wonderland as two-time Tony Award®-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon brings Lewis Carroll’s whimsical adventure to the stage with a modern twist. Immersed within Joby Talbot’s hallucinatory soundworld of sweeping melodies and ticking clocks, with Tony Award®-winning designer Bob Crowley’s vibrant stagecraft and puppetry, Wheeldon makes Wonderland wonderfully real in this audience-favorite dance adventure.

Things get curiouser and curiouser as Alice traverses a mysterious realm of instantly recognizable characters: the high-strung Queen of Hearts, the entrancing Caterpillar, and the tap-dancing Mad Hatter at his bizarre tea party. Lose your head in a seamless fusion of humor, eccentricity, and fantasy as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland© takes you on a magical trip through the extraordinary."

$30 per ticket

50% savings!

The Joffrey Ballet will send your tickets directly to your email, please make sure to provide your email address when registering.

Registration Deadline: Thursday, May 1, 2025, 12:00pm

Limited Space: 25 registrants maximum

Save The Date!

Tour of Graceland Cemetery

with Guide Bill Herzog

Saturday, June 14

10:30am

More details to come!

Book: The Cursed Friend
Author: Beatrice Salvioni

Discussion Leader: D. Clancy

Literature Discussion Chairs: Barbara Herzog and Teresa Kennedy

The Literature Group offers members an international perspective in literary fiction by introducing acclaimed, if sometimes lesser known, writers and books. Members are invited to attend by Zoom, although we request that only those who have read the book participate in discussion.