2012 Classic Honorary Chair
Rita Canning is the Chair of Women In Need Growing Stronger (WINGS), an organization offering transitional housing and support for abused and homeless women and their children. She opened the WINGS Safe House, the first domestic violence shelter in Chicago's northwest suburbs, which now serves 45 women and children.
Canning serves as Vice President of the Canning Foundation, which provides private school scholarships to more than 100 inner-city children; funds a pilot program to provide legal assistance to Harper College Women's Program students; sponsors Women's Program scholarships; and created "train the trainer" programs to offer domestic violence training to students in the medical and legal fields. Canning joined the Harper College Board in 2007. She is Board Vice-Chair.
Canning also is a member of the Women's Board of Northwestern University, a Sustaining Member of the Women's Board of the Field Museum, a Director of the Buehler YMCA, and a longtime member of Harper's Educational Foundation.
She has received the Children's Home and Aid Society's "For the Love of Children Award", the Sears "Distinguished Leader Award" for exemplary volunteer contributions, the "Woman to Woman Making a Difference Award" from the Illinois State Treasurer's Office, the Business Ledger's "Influential Women in Business" award, the "Vision to Action Award" from the Illinois Center for Violence Prevention and the WINGS "Shining Light" Award.
She holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois. She and her husband, John, live in Inverness and have six children.
Marriott Northwest Chicago
Dinner Menu
Butler Style Hors D' Oeuvres
Brie Quiche
Miniature Beef Wellingtons
Chicken Spring Rolls
Apple Cider Cured Chicken Crostini with Grain Mustard
Soup
Cream of Broccoli & Cheese Soup served in a vol au vaunt Pastry Shell
Salad
Paul Harris Salad
Tossed Field Greens accompanied with Grilled Peaches, Diced Apples, Fresh Mozzarella, Dried Cherries & Finished with a Raspberry Vinaigrette
Intermezzo Sorbet
Lemon/Raspberry
Duet Entree
5oz Filet Mignon & 4oz Mahi Mahi
Fire Grilled Petit Filet Mignon finished with a Brandy Sugar & Spice Grilled Mahi Mahi with a Pineapple & Mango Salsa
Served with: Cabernet Gorgonzola infused Mashed Potatoes & Petite Pan Vegetables to Include Brandied Carrots, Zucchini, Yellow Squash & Bermuda Onion Confit reduced in a White Wine
Dessert
Chocolate Lava Torte - Warmed Chocolate Ganache Torte filled with Dark Chocolate served with a Chocolate Dipped Strawberries and Creme Fraiche
