'Whimsical' Tom Hanks 'Cult' Returns to North Side

Between Sleepless in Seattle, Saving Private Ryan and Forrest Gump, it’s quite clear why a Tom Hanks Day exists, and lucky for North Siders, the annual event is being held locally.

The 10th annual International Tom Hanks Day will take place on April 13 from noon to 4 p.m. at neighboring Lake View bars HQ Beercade at 950 W. Wolfram St. and Uncle Fatty’s Rum Resort at 2833 N. Sheffield Ave.

Co-founded by now-Ravenswood resident Kevin Turk, Tom Hanks Day started in 2004 at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. Now, after 10 years and now 300 attendees, the big event has returned.

“Can you believe it’s been a decade?” said Turk in a statement. “Acting legend Tom Hanks will again be celebrated in the Windy City—and money raised for his favorite charity—at the 10th annual whimsical cult gathering that is International Tom Hanks Day.”

The charity in question is Lifeline Energy, Hanks’ favorite charity, according to Turk. It’s a non-profit social enterprise that provides assorted technologies and eco-friendly initiatives to enhance the lives of residents in underdeveloped countries.

Although the event in general is free, proceeds are generated through a suggested $5 donation that lets Tom Hanks lovers drink beer at a discounted price, and snags the fan a raffle ticket for prizes.

In the past, the prizes—some of which Hanks even provides—range from signed Forrest Gump posters, signed movies and signed Wilson volleyballs (think Cast Away). More raffle tickets can be purchased at an additional cost.

Turk says over the years, the annual party has expanded from its Chicago roots to other cities like Los Angeles, London, Portland, Cleveland and Toronto. The event now boasts more than 1,700 Facebook followers and even caught the attention of Hanks himself.

“Dear Kevin Turk and the Assembled,” Hanks began in a letter to Turk dated in 2007. “You people have either lost your mind or your jobs. Both? Then again, you may have just discovered the divine path to world peace—just a short walk through, say, ‘Turner and Hooch’ and ‘Cast Away.’”

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