119th Annual Dinner hosted by the
Indiana Society of Chicago Foundation.
For over a century, to kick off the holiday season, leaders have been gathering in Chicago the first Saturday in December for a black tie gala to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of businesses, colleges, universities, and individuals that are doing extraordinary things to make Indiana the great state it is.
Purchase Tickets Offline
Prefer to purchase tickets to the Annual Dinner by check? Download and mail the completed form along with payment to ISOC Foundation, P.O. Box 46129, Chicago, Illinois 60646.
2023 Institution of the Year
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the Racing Capital of the World and has played host to some of the biggest names in auto racing history. IMS is the largest sports-seating facility and hosts the largest single-day sporting event in the world, the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. IMS also hosts other NTT INDYCAR SERIES races, NASCAR, IMSA and much more.
2023 Hoosier of the Year
Don Wettrick
Don Wettrick is CEO and Founder of STARTedUP Foundation, a nonprofit that provides entrepreneurial events, curriculum, training, and seed funding for Indiana high school entrepreneurs. “Innovate WithIN” was created to get more students to see problems as opportunities, by embracing personal responsibility, service, creativity and purpose with an entrepreneurial spirit. Innovate WithIN is the country’s largest and most competitive high school pitch competition – empowering students to develop skills to launch entrepreneurial ideas and take it to market while being mentored by national and global change-makers.
Don also is a podcast host and interviews some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs and authors.
Previous to founding STARTedUP, Wettrick was a teacher of 22 years, and continues to visit classrooms all over the state.
Entertainment
A Night of Star Entertainment and Memorable Program Features
The Indiana Society of Chicago has always prided itself on attracting star performers for its Dinner entertainment. In addition to musical entertainment, tradition throughout the evening includes a presentation of the colors by the Culver Military Academy Color Guard, a toast to Indiana by the Governor, and Miss Indiana leading the crowd in singing “On the Banks of the Wabash”.