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Arts & Entertainment

Giving Children the Greatest Gift – Fundraising Event

Before the most frenzied holiday shopping season, take an opportunity on December 1 to spend a relaxing evening experiencing the flavors of Greece at Tasso's Greek Cuisine, 220 S Washington St, Naperville, while helping Normal Moments Inc, a local 501(c)(3) non-profit raise funds to help families with children facing critical illnesses or who are medically fragile, requiring  repeated hospital visits and extensive home care.   A sampling of fine Greek food and wine will be offered from 6:30 – 9:30 PM.  Additional entertainment includes live jazz music courtesy of The Chicago Jazz Outfit, a Wine Pull, and a raffle.  The minimum donation is only $45 per person.  Reservations are requested and can be made online at www.normalmoments.org by selecting "Giving Children the Greatest Gift – Tasso's" from the Event tab.  Payment is preferred via the website, however cash, checks, and credit cards will be accepted at the event.

"Normal Moments is very grateful to General Manager Donna Konstantinidis and the rest of the staff at Tasso's for hosting this event for us.  Being a Naperville-based organization, the show of support from within the community is very gratifying," states Normal Moments President and Found, Patricia Fragen.  She is also a Naperville resident.  Like Tasso's Greek Cuisine, Fragen is committed not only to her organization, but to the community as a whole.  She plays violin with the DuPage Symphony Orchestra and sits on their board of directors as well.

Normal Moments was founded in 2007 by Fragen and her sixteen year old daughter, Melissa, only a month before Melissa died after battling an osteosarcoma, a bone cancer.  This legacy of Melissa's life is based on the understanding that while organizations that provide wishes and miracles for families in medical crisis are absolutely wonderful, the reality is that when children (and even many adults) are feeling badly, they don't want to go to Disney World or meet a superstar; they just want their mommy or their daddy by their sides.  By sending a combination of paid professional service providers and dedicated volunteers to take care of day-to-day tasks like housework and lawn maintenance, parents are given more time to spend with their children.  Pet care and house sitting services allow families to stay together during extended hospital visits and to thoroughly enjoy those wonderful wish-trips without concern about what's happening at home.  Additional professional services include snow removal, home massage therapy visits, emotional support, consultations with marriage and family counselors, meal assistance, and other special requests with the ultimate goal of providing more quality family time for families in need.

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While many services are provided by compassionate volunteers, often times the location of families and the location of available volunteers do not correspond, so paid services providers are used to fill the needs for many families.  In addition, for the protection of all volunteers, professional cleaning companies are always sent to the family home for at least the first visit.  All Normal Moments volunteers undergo a fingerprinted background check and a personal training session before being matched to a family in need. 

Anyone interested in donating items or services to the raffle or bottles of wine for the Wine Pull, interested in volunteering, or seeking additional information about Normal Moments should email tricia@normalmoments.org or call 630.888.8111.

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