Thank You for Helping Us Bloom

In Full Bloom 2026 was an incredible evening of connection, celebration, and community.
Because of our generous sponsors, donors, volunteers, auction supporters, and guests, we raised over $41,000 to help make mental health care accessible for individuals and families across the North Shore.

Thank you for believing that everyone deserves access to quality mental health care.

Save the Date for In Full Bloom 2027- Friday, May 14th!
There is Strength in Community

​Every bid placed, ticket purchased, sponsorship secured, volunteer hour given, and conversation shared helped make this evening possible. To our guests, sponsors, donors, volunteers, auction donors, board members, staff, and community partners! Thank you for helping people find hope, healing, and support.

Together, we are creating a community where mental health care is within reach for everyone who needs it.
We are grateful for the generosity of our Sponsors who made In Full Bloom possible.​
​Thank you for supporting access to mental health services for all! 
CCNS Mental Health Champion Awardee Meg Kissinger
We were proud to recognize Pulitzer Prize finalist, journalist, and author Meg Kissinger as the 2026 CCNS Mental Health Champion for her extraordinary work reducing stigma surrounding mental illness.

A proud Wilmette native, she brings a deeply personal and local voice to this
national conversation. Her acclaimed memoir of growing up in Wilmette, While You
Were Out, blends investigative reporting with deep compassion and honesty,
shining a light on the human cost of silence and the importance of seeking help. 
Her voice and leadership embody the spirit of CCNS’s 2026 Mental Health Champion Award. Meg will attend In Full Bloom to accept the award and meet attendees.
Event Flow
In Full Bloom will be the most fun and inspiring fundraiser you attend this spring! Join us in creating access to mental health care for anyone who needs support because when help is available, people don’t just survive, they bloom.
At the beautiful Michigan Shores Club in Wilmette, your evening will unfold like this:
  • 6:00 PM: Arrive energized and ready to celebrate! Take advantage of free valet parking, check in upstairs, and explore the evening’s offerings.
  • 6:00–7:00 PM: Sip on cocktails, wine, beer and other refreshments at the open bar, explore the silent auction for new experiences and treasures, and get your thrift on at the Winnetka Thrift Shop pop-up.
  • 7:00 PM: Take your seat for a delicious dinner shared with friends old and new. Enjoy a thoughtfully prepared dinner, vegetarian option available, with salad, dessert, and wine included.
  • 8:00 PM: Celebrate the inspiring voice and impact of this year’s CCNS Mental Health Champion, advocate, journalist, and author Meg Kissinger.
  • 8:30 PM: Hit the dance floor as Chicago’s very own Gerald McClendon, aka Soulkeeper, and his 5-piece band will fill the room with soulful rhythms you can’t resist.
  • 10:00 PM: Leave the party glowing with the joy of an evening spent supporting a life-changing cause.
Winnetka Thrift Shop Pop Up
​Enjoy exclusive VIP thrifting during cocktail hour from our very own Winnetka Thrift Shop! We’ll have a selection of special finds just for In Full Bloom, unique treasures you won’t want to miss.
Best of all, every purchase supports mental health services at the Counseling Center of the North Shore.
The Winnetka Thrift Shop is located in the Hubbard Woods District of Winnetka at 992 Green Bay Road.
Gerald McClendon Band
If you love R&B Soul music, then you’ll fall in love with Gerald McClendon and his extraordinary style of performing R&B standards such as classic soul music and sounds of Motown, Stax and Atlantic records. He draws from the everlasting era of artist such as Ottis Redding, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, The Chi-Lites, Stevie Wonder and even songs of the Frank Sinatra jazz era. Gerald McClendon’s love for music screams out loud with his passion and love of entertaining his audiences.