Northbrook Toddler's Death Prompts Fundraiser

The following was submitted by the North Suburban YMCA:

The Tori Wilensky Foundation will host a fundraiser at the North Suburban YMCA on Saturday, September 13, in support of the Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood Program and other charities. “Moves Like Tori” will offer an afternoon of family fun from 2:00 to 4:30pm, celebrating the memory of a Northbrook toddler who passed away in August 2012. The YMCA is located at 2705 Techny Road in Northbrook.

“Moves Like Tori” – a reference to one of Tori’s favorite songs, “Moves Like Jagger” – was launched in 2013 and attracted over 650 guests to the Y for a day of outdoor play, entertainment, and fundraising auctions. This year’s event will build on that success, including a DJ dance party from Bizar Entertainment, an appearance by Dave Dinaso’s Traveling World of Reptiles, and a wide assortment of inflatable bouncehouses, obstacle courses, and other fun activities for young and old. Adults will also enjoy bidding in live and silent auctions with a wide variety of enticing donations.

Proceeds of the fundraiser will benefit Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood programs (www.sudc.org), a website founded by a mother who lost a toddler to SUDC in 1997. The SUDC organization provides centralized resources for families dealing with SUDC, develops peer support among families, raises public awareness and understanding of SUDC, and contributes to research that may lead someday to the prevention of these childhood deaths. The Wilensky Foundation is also supporting the Backpack Blessings program from Temple Jeremiah in Northfield, which provides weekly backpacks of food for 100 families in need. Finally, the Foundation is establishing two library shelves in Tori’s honor at Red Oak School and Sherwood School in Highland Park. Proceeds from Moves Like Tori will enable underprivileged children served by Backpack Blessings to donate a book to the library on their birthday and also receive a book themselves as a birthday gift.

Tickets to “Moves Like Tori” are available through the Tori Wilensky Foundation’s website, http://www.toriwilenskyfoundation.com, for $15 per person. Commemorative t-shirts are also available for purchase for $5.50. The North Suburban YMCA is located at 2705 Techny Road in Northbrook. For detailed information, visit the Foundation’s website.

Photo Caption: Hundreds of kids and adults enjoyed inflatables, playground time, silent auctions, and more at the 2013 “Moves Like Tori” event at the North Suburban YMCA. This year’s event is scheduled for Saturday, September 13 from 2:00 to 4:30pm. Courtesy of the North Suburban YMCA.