FIFTH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION "A DREAM COME TRUE" FOR CSLN MEMBERS

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Within hours of breaking down and packing up the party lights, leftover food and drink, Polaroid pictures, flyers and banners, the praise began on social media. One member wrote on Facebook that the Fifth Anniversary Celebration of the Chicago Sustainability Leaders Network (CSLN) was “the best time I have had all year.” Another posted a photo captioned “What a terrific evening!! Loved the vibe, food, drinks and especially the people.” Additional praise came through word of mouth, with a newcomer remarking that the event “made my life” and a long-time member calling it “a dream come true.”

​On November 30th, 2018, over 70 people gathered at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum to celebrate five years of community collaboration...

Seven large glass windows along the wall were filled with hanging displays of milestones from those five years—reports, photos, flyers, and more from key projects, partnerships, and events. See the timeline in digital form here. The celebration sought not only to recall the history and accomplishments of CSLN, but to facilitate connections between past, present, and potential future members, partners, friends, and beyond. Some in attendance had worked with the accelerate77 project and helped forge the network in 2013, while others were interacting with CSLN for the very first time. All were equally welcome, and the unique contributions of the individuals in the room quickly melded into new creative endeavors. A handful of new projects and collaborations were conceived before the night was through.

Words cannot express the full power and importance of the evening. Here are some images:

• As each person introduced themselves by name, affiliation, the community they represent, others began exclaiming “West Side!”, “South Side!”, and “North Side!” with pride.
• A cardboard photo frame—accented with craft glitter, bold stick-on C-S-L-N letters, and an accelerate77 logo updated with party hats—was passed around to nearly half the participants in the room.
• Members hung Polaroid portraits on the spot on the timeline where they first engaged with CSLN.
• Four businesses sponsored the event with beverage donations. Lagunitas, which donated to a previous CSLN event at the Nature Museum, donated the beer. A network member whose family owns Wide River Winery generously shared their wine. Another member connected with Chicago-based Apologue and brought their responsibly-sourced celery root liqueur. Finally, newcomer The Tandem Way Cafe supplied homemade cold brew.
• It took three sheets to tabloid-size paper to print out the banner of logos from all of CSLN’s partners over the past five years.