They Skipped the Raffle and Raised $53,000
A one-time campaign to bring every RGA home up to the standard the people we support deserve. And there's still room for you.
About 25 people came to Mize Hall in Burr Ridge on a Saturday evening in June. There was no ticket price, no raffle, no entertainment to soften the ask. Just a real conversation and a room full of people who came to do one thing: make every Ray Graham Association home what it should be. Accessible. Dignified. Warm. A place that belongs to the person living in it.
A challenge accepted
The goal for June 13 was $50,000 and the room blew past it.
"Your early commitments and last night's gifts pushed us past our challenge," said Laura M. Milewski, Senior Director of Development. "A board member's $100,000 gift made this possible, but YOU made it happen."
For those who couldn't attend, Milewski made clear their gifts landed just as hard: "You weren't there in body, but you were there in spirit. We raised a glass to every one of you."
Why it matters
Research shows that only 24% of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities had a say in choosing where they live. When a home is personal, accessible, and built around who they are, they are 3.6 times more likely to say their services help them live a good life.
(Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 2023; Human Services Research Institute, NCI-IDD Survey, 2022–23.)
That personal pride, and the dignity that comes with it, is exactly what these donors extend to every person RGA supports, regardless of what their family can afford.
What comes next
The funds raised will go directly toward accessible equipment, quality furnishings, reliable appliances, and personalized spaces across 40+ community homes and community learning centers in the Chicago suburbs. You can rest assured that although this campaign is one-time, RGA's commitment to personalized, dignified homes is not.