Creative charity Club Blue to dissolve, transfer assets to Community Foundation of Northern Illinois

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — A Rockford charity known for its creative posh parties that raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to help disadvantaged children has decided to dissolve its nonprofit organization.

Club Blue announced on Thursday that it would end its run after 14 years of raising money for children in need.

“Since our inception, we have been dedicated to improving the lives of children in need,” Therese Trenhaile, president of the nonprofit foundation’s board, said in a news release. “Together, we have achieved remarkable milestones, impacting countless young lives through our fundraising events. We are immensely proud of the positive changes we’ve been able to make and we couldn’t have done it without the unwavering support of this incredibly generous community.”

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The club said it decided to dissolve due to changes in the community’s needs, shifts in the nonprofit landscape and challenges presented by evolving philanthropic environment.

“The Club Blue Foundation Board of Directors believe that this is the most responsible and ethical course of action to take at this time,” it said in a news release.

The nonprofit was started in 2011 by a group of about 10 women who were concerned about the alarming high rate of child abuse in the area. It quickly gained a reputation for its exclusive fundraising parties in which the location was often kept secret until shortly before the event.

The charity was first led by Jayme Bastian, an event planner and producer from Racine, Wisconsin, who came to Rockford in 2007 with her husband, former Blackhawk Bank chairman Rick Bastian.

The club broadened its mission in 2014 to establish a grant program to supply goods and services that support the health and well-being of children in need.

Since its inception, Club Blue raised more than $2.5 million to support 13 charities that aid disadvantaged children.

The organizations supported: Rock House Kids, Carrie Lynn Children’s Center, Remedies Renewing Lives, Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity, MERIT, Children’s Safe Harbor, Crusader Community Health, Family Peace Center, Rosecrance, Salvation Army, Motherhouse Crisis Nursery, K-Fact and Winnebago County CASA.

The organization’s legacy will live on through an endowment fund hosted by The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois. Club Blue will transfer all remaining assets to the Community Foundation as it works through the dissolution process.

“Club Blue’s commitment to their mission remains strong until the very end,” the organization wrote in a news release. “As they wind down operations, they will continue to fulfill their existing commitments and ensure that all remaining resources are directed towards causes that align with its mission and values.”

Anyone who wants to support the Club Blue Fund can do so through the Community Foundation by going HERE.

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas