On Saturday, April 30, SAA hosted our Annual Benefit with 200 guests in attendance at the Chicago Botanic Garden. A special thank you to all who attended, supported, and helped create this magical night for the SAA community.
With the generous and passionate support of so many, A Whimsical Evening at the Garden raised critical funds for The SAA Scholarship Fund.
With the generous and passionate support of so many, A Whimsical Evening at the Garden raised critical funds for The SAA Scholarship Fund.
We couldn't have done it without...

... the Annual Benefit guests who spent the evening with us and supported A Whimsical Evening at the Garden by purchasing tickets, bidding on auction items, and raising your paddles!
... the SAA Community who participated by bidding from home, purchasing auction items and raising their paddles for the SAA Scholarship Fund to support our mission!
... the Annual Benefit Co-Chairs Bert Guiterrez-Wynne and Swati Shah who were an integral part of this event from inception to execution. The Co-Chairs spent countless hours planning and organizing to ensure the event was not only a success, but an evening where our community could celebrate our students, faculty and families.
... the Sponsors and Donors who contributed to costs associated with the event, gave of their professional services, or donated goods and services for the event and auctions.
... the Faculty and Staff who supported A Whimsical Evening at the Garden and the Youth Event with great energy and enthusiasm.
... our Blue Horizon Award Honoree Aviad Sheinfeld for his dedication to SAA’s mission and core values.
We thank all of you for your dedication to the SAA community!
... the SAA Community who participated by bidding from home, purchasing auction items and raising their paddles for the SAA Scholarship Fund to support our mission!
... the Annual Benefit Co-Chairs Bert Guiterrez-Wynne and Swati Shah who were an integral part of this event from inception to execution. The Co-Chairs spent countless hours planning and organizing to ensure the event was not only a success, but an evening where our community could celebrate our students, faculty and families.
... the Sponsors and Donors who contributed to costs associated with the event, gave of their professional services, or donated goods and services for the event and auctions.
... the Faculty and Staff who supported A Whimsical Evening at the Garden and the Youth Event with great energy and enthusiasm.
... our Blue Horizon Award Honoree Aviad Sheinfeld for his dedication to SAA’s mission and core values.
We thank all of you for your dedication to the SAA community!
SAA Scholarship Fund

Thanks to your support, we raised over $140,000 for our Scholarship Fund during the evening's much anticipated Paddle Raise!
This generous support of the SAA Scholarship Fund will make a transformative impact on the lives of students. Each year, there are SAA families who struggle financially to continue at SAA. Further, there are qualified students who are unable to attend SAA because the family’s financial need exceeds the school’s available funding.
If you have not had a chance to participate in SAA’s Scholarship Fund, please help us give every gifted student the opportunity for an SAA education. Donate now »
This generous support of the SAA Scholarship Fund will make a transformative impact on the lives of students. Each year, there are SAA families who struggle financially to continue at SAA. Further, there are qualified students who are unable to attend SAA because the family’s financial need exceeds the school’s available funding.
If you have not had a chance to participate in SAA’s Scholarship Fund, please help us give every gifted student the opportunity for an SAA education. Donate now »
2022 Annual Benefit Highlights
Thank You to Our Sponsors
Youth Event Sponsors
Nick & Swati Shah
Dessert Sponsors
Josh Warren and Suzanne Bell
Nick & Swati Shah
Dessert Sponsors
Josh Warren and Suzanne Bell
Teacher Ticket Sponsors
Lolita & Lee Alkureishi
Mark Anderson & Mary Fontaine Sanjeev & Neeru Arora Suzanne Bish & Bryan Wood The Bognich Family Phyllis & Tom Burks Andrew & Jeanette Carr Anna & Veronica Ciolkiewicz Erik & Margaret Ford Nick Georgakopoulos & Mary Lee Moore Auleen & Laika Ghosh Ovidiu & Monika Hadade Spencer Heinz & Farveh Momayezzadeh Andrew Hoog & Chee-Young Kim Hillari & Peter Jacobs Allison Lau |
Rebecca & Phil Leslie
The Libel Family Jang Lim & Mi Young Kim John Musachia & Jamel Bean Cristo Paraskevas & Elif Tutek Mijin & Yong Park Paul & Elizabeth Pasternock The Rodriguez Family Brian & Jourlande Richardson Mina Ryu & Alex Ro Andy Simnick & Bonnie Lai Bill & Georgia Spear Bryant & Cheryl Stratton Hui Yi & Soo Kang Lis & Paul Webster Linda Wu & Jun Tan |