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| Israel 'Izzy' Idonije |
(CHICAGO, IL) July 2, 2014 – Continuing its support of the
Israel Idonije Foundation, Amata Office Centers, in collaboration with
several of its shared office clients, hosted an open house to benefit the
Chicago-based foundation and its work in disadvantaged communities.
The event, which took place on Thursday, June 26, also
celebrated the recent opening of Amata’s new shared office center at 150 S.
Wacker Drive, its sixth location in downtown Chicago.
“At Amata, we value the long-term relationships we develop
with our clients, and this event is a perfect example of everyone coming together
to support a good cause,” said Ron Bockstahler, Amata’s CEO and
co-founder. “The Israel Idonije Foundation is a longtime tenant that we’ve
supported for several years, so we were ecstatic to have them be a part of our
grand opening celebration.”
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| Ron Bockstahler |
The open house, which took place at Amata’s new center on
the 24th floor of 150 S. Wacker, featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony, raffle and
special appearance by Chicago Bears defensive end veteran Israel “Izzy”
Idonije, who was on hand to take photos, sign autographs and share his
journey in sports, entrepreneurship and philanthropy through his namesake
foundation.
Guests also enjoyed a special “Taste of Soldier Field” menu,
cocktails and live music from Forrest Weeks of Guitar Chicago, an Amata
client. Photography was provided by D.W. Johnson Photography, another
Amata client.
As part of the event, Amata raised $9,000 to support the
Israel Idonije Foundation’s youth programs, which are designed to help
underprivileged children develop social and emotional life skills. The
organization works with children in Chicago; Winnipeg, Canada; and West
Africa – all places Idonije has called home.
“Amata’s services have been invaluable to my work off the
field, making it easy for me to run the foundation and multiple businesses from
a single space,” said Idonije.
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| Forrest Weeks |
“Over the years,
we’ve received support not only from Amata but also from our fellow tenants,
whether it be through donations or time spent volunteering at one of our many
community events. This collaboration and team mentality is part of what drew us
to Amata and reflects the overall mission of our organization.”
A native of Lagos, Nigeria, Idonije moved to Winnipeg when
he was just four years old. The son of Christian missionaries, he spent much of
his youth volunteering in the community with his parents, who founded a local
charity that distributed food to families in need.
Idonije also volunteered through the local YMCA and, during
his time as a star athlete at the University of Manitoba, participated in an after-school
program at a nearby elementary school.
Idonije was drafted into the NFL in 2003 and, after several
successful seasons with the Chicago Bears, used his celebrity status to launch
the Israel Idonije Foundation in 2007. To date, the organization has served
more than 6,000 children through its community-level initiatives, which include
after-school programs, sports camps and medical missions to Africa.
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| Camilla Parker Bowles |
Idonije has received numerous awards and honors for his
years of community service, including a recent induction into the Order of
Manitoba, the highest accolade the province bestows on its citizens, in a
ceremony that included Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, and his wife,
Camilla Parker Bowles, the Duchess of Cornwall.
Earlier this month, Idonije became the first professional
athlete to receive an honorary degree from the University of Manitoba.
Established in 2002, Amata is Chicago’s largest privately
owned office suites provider. Its newest center at 150 S. Wacker Drive features
more than 50 private office suites, several state-of-the art conference rooms
and a spacious café and lounge, among other amenities.
Since opening the center in May, Amata has leased 64 percent
of the private office space. For more information about Amata or to inquire about
their new center, call (877) 262-8204 or visit www.amataoffices.com.
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| Prince Charles |
Additional information about the Israel Idonije Foundation,
including instructions on how to volunteer or make a donation, can be found on
the organization’s website: www.israelidonije.org.
The Israel Idonije Foundation is a registered 501(c)3
non-profit organization that seeks to extend positive, life-changing
opportunities to families and individuals in economically disadvantaged
communities.
The foundation promotes the pursuit of education and knowledge,
while providing programs for our youth and community members, in hope that they
may actualize and maximize their full potential.
Amata Office Centers is a Chicago-based office space
provider specializing in real and virtual offices and conference room rentals.
Founded in 2002, Amata offers an array of full- and part-time office solutions
to businesses of all sizes, including solo practitioners and startups, as well as
large corporations looking to establish sales outposts in Chicago.
With six state-of-the-art locations to choose from in the
city’s central business district, all with easy access to public
transportation, Amata offers flexible terms to allow businesses to change and
grow as needed.
For a complete copy of the company’s news release, please
contact:
Kelly Shumaker at
(312) 267-4519 or kshumaker@taylorjohnson.com;
or Abe Tekippe at (312) 267-4528 or atekippe@taylorjohnson.com.
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