The CATA is pleased to name two new charities as benefactors of the First Look for Charity: Folds of Honor and Violet Foundation for Pediatric Brain Cancer.
The First Look for Charity black-tie gala takes place on the Chicago Auto Show floor the night before it opens to the public, and the proceeds annually generate at least $2 million for 18 local charities. Benefiting charities are named by the CATA board of directors and are brought into the program for a nine-year term, at which time they can either be renamed by a member of the CATA board or a new charity is nominated to participate in the program.
This year, two vacancies allowed for the dealer organization to name beneficiaries who have not yet participated in the program. Newly elected CATA board member Jared Wickstrom of Dick Wickstrom Chevrolet nominated Folds of Honor, and the collective CATA board of directors nominated the Violet Foundation for Pediatric Brain Cancer to join the beneficiary lineup.
Folds of Honor is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that provides educational scholarships to the spouses and children of U.S. military service members and first responders who have fallen or been disabled while serving our country and communities. Their educational scholarships support private school tuition or tutoring in grades K-12, tuition for college, technical or trade school and post-graduate work, including a master’s degree, doctorate or professional program. Funds for a second bachelor’s degree or trade/technical program certification are also available. Since its inception in 2007, Folds of Honor has awarded more than 52,000 scholarships totaling about $244 million in all 50 states. Among the students served, 45% are minorities. It is rated a four-star charity by Charity Navigator and Platinum on Candid. It was founded by Lt. Col. Dan Rooney, the only-ever F-16 fighter pilot (with three combat tours in Iraq) and PGA professional. He is currently stationed at Headquarters Air Force Recruiting Service Detachment 1 at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas.
“We are grateful to CATA and Dick Wickstrom Chevrolet for the inclusion in First Look for Charity and the generous contribution that will benefit our recipients,” said Lt. Col. Dan Rooney, founder and CEO of Folds of Honor. “These funds will provide life-changing academic scholarships to families who have sacrificed so much and deserve and need our help.”
The Violet Foundation for Pediatric Brain Cancer was founded in 2022 by the local Chicago Napleton family following the death of their 3-year-old daughter Violet, the Foundation’s namesake. The Violet Foundation is dedicated to funding critical research and supporting families whose child is being treated for a brain tumor. Since their founding, they have supported more than 100 families in the fight and funded 12 research projects around the world to develop more effective treatments for children diagnosed with this terrible disease.
“We’re honored and excited to be a part of the First Look for Charity,” said Violet Foundation Co-Founder Steve Napleton. “Brain cancer is responsible for more childhood deaths than any other disease, and the money we will raise through the First Look will make a real impact in pediatric brain cancer research.”
Since its inception, the Chicago Auto Show’s First Look for Charity has raised more than $63 million for participating local charities. The CATA and new-car dealers also support charities year-round through a program called Chicagoland Dealers Care. Chicagoland Dealers Care helps match donations made by CATA dealer members to charities within their communities.
“We are excited and honored to bring both of these wonderful charities into the First Look for Charity event,” said CATA Board Member and First Look for Charity Chair Emir Abinion. “I speak on behalf of all new-car dealers when I say that charitable giving and supporting organizations like these who do such crucial work, not only in Chicagoland but around the country, is extremely important to us. We take pride in putting on the First Look for Charity gala every year, which raises millions of dollars for these 18 organizations – a fundraiser unlike any other in Chicago.”
The full listing of 2025 First Look for Charity beneficiaries include: 100 Club of Illinois; Advocate Health Care; ALS United Greater Chicago; Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago; Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago; Cal’s Angels; Folds of Honor; Franciscan Community Benefit Services; Glenwood Academy; Habitat for Humanity; Jesse White Tumbling Team; Lydia Home & Safe Families for Children; Misericordia; Sertoma Star Services; Special Olympics Illinois; Susan G. Komen, Chicago; Turning Pointe Autism Foundation; and Violet Foundation for Pediatric Brain Cancer.
The 2025 First Look for Charity is set to take place on Friday, Feb. 7 at McCormick Place. For more information, please visit firstlookforcharity.org. For details about the CATA’s Chicagoland Dealers Care program, visit chicagolanddealerscare.com.
