John Rot and partner David Rizner were devastated, along with other Horton’s employees during one month in 2000.
Co-worker Pam Herts, a mother of a 1-year-old son, was diagnosed with cancer. That same month,Rot’s mentor in the hardware business, Don Winkle, also received the same terrifying news. Rot and Rizner, as well as other business owners in La Grange, decided to have a fundraiser for cancer research. That was the beginning of the H Foundation and its annual Goombay Bash.
“We wanted it to be upbeat and a celebration,” Rot said. “We did it in a casual, Caribbean-themed party named after a popular cocktail, the Goombay Smash.”
With a goal of between $10,000 and $14,000, the fundraiser netted $100,000 in August 2001.
“It was amazing, I’m not really sure what happened,” Rot said. “We found it was a disease that touched so many people. It’s one of those things that when it hits you, you either feel sorry for yourself or you do something, we decided to do something.”
As fate would have it, Pam Herts, the person from which the foundation took its name, and Winkle both passed away before the first Goombay Bash was held.
To date, the H Foundation has raised nearly $3 million for the Robert H. Lurie Foundation Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern University.
This year, Rot said, will be Goombay Bash’s 10th anniversary “and were planning our biggest, best Bash ever.”
The event will be held from 5 p.m. to midnight Saturday, August 7, at the Grand Ballroom, Navy Pier, Chicago. More information is available at (708) 352-5240 or info@hfoundation.org.
Notable
Navy Pier has become the venue for the event as a result of its popularity
& quotable
“We raise money five dollars at a time. By everyone doing a little, we can do a lot,” Rot said.
Philosophy
“Together we can make a difference.”
Favorites
INTERESTS “I had a lot of hobbies until I got into retail.”
SPORTS TEAMS Chicago White Sox and Bulls
