Sometimes you really want a milkshake.
Michael Kiss, senior vice president at LaSalle National Bank, Chicago, also wanted to show his support for the 11-10-02 Foundation, set up by childhood friend Greg Forbes Siegman to provide need-based scholarships for college-bound high school students in the Chicago area, as well as grants to local schools. Last month, Mr. Kiss and his wife, Gail, contacted Mr. Siegman, a Chicago public school teacher, about having a scholarship set up in their names. Other scholarships have been established through the foundation by consulting firm Strategos, Menlo Park, Calif., and NHL hockey player Chris Chelios.
The foundation, which recently awarded $100,000 in scholarships and grants, has assets of about $55,000, raised largely through a unique fund-raising strategy called the Milkshake Campaign.
The whole thing started in 1997, when Mr. Siegman took two of his students out for milkshakes. Offended when he felt a customer at the restaurant had insulted the boys, who are African-American, Mr. Siegman vowed that by his 30th birthday (Nov. 10, 2002, thus the foundation's name), he'd have done something significant to help break down barriers of race, sex and economic class. He came up with the Brunch Bunch program, of which the foundation and scholarships are a part: he's been organizing brunches for students and area professionals every weekend since.
Now, donors give Mr. Siegman up to $7,500 for a shake. He saves the glasses and later presents them, mounted as trophies, to the scholarship winners. Anyone interested in attending the brunches or buying a really expensive milkshake can check out the foundation's website at www.brunchbunch.com.
