Nestled in the quaint and quiet suburban neighborhood of Lake in the Hills, IL, Stewart McVicar and his family have created what has been called the greatest Chicago Cubs mancave ever made. Stewart or Stu, as his friends call him, out of his love for the Cubs, transformed the basement of his home into a space dedicated to his beloved sports team and calls it Club 400.
But if you’ve ever visited Club 400, you’ll find it’s more than a man cave, it’s a Cubs museum. Every square foot is covered in Cubbie blue, with hundreds of autographed balls, Wrigley Field artifacts, life-size player bobble heads, and countless modern and vintage memorabilia. It’s quite a scene.
And the most amazing part? Stu and his family didn’t create this space back in 2013 for bragging rights. It was built to raise money for charity and to foster a community of Cubs fans looking for ways to help others in times of need.
Over the past 10 years, Club 400 has raised more than $750,000 dollars for various charities. Special Olympics Illinois is one of the more recent benefactors of this unique fundraising powerhouse. “Special Olympics Illinois impacts so many lives and working with this organization was a bucket list item for me,” says Stu McVicar.
On August 17, Club 400 welcomed two-time World Series winner and former Cubs coach, Joe Maddon, to Club 400 for a fundraiser to benefit the Special Olympics Illinois athletes. The fundraiser titled: A Night That Didn’t Suck with Joe Madden, to benefit the athletes of Special Olympics Illinois, was immensely successful. The exclusive event generated donations from ticket sales, silent and live auctions, merchandise sales, and a 50/50 raffle.
In total, Club 400 raised an astounding $75,000 for Special Olympics Illinois athletes and programming. The largest raised and a record for Club 400. “Our fundraising party with Joe Madden, broke Club 400’s all-time record for money raised in a single night and I couldn’t be more thrilled it was for Special Olympics Illinois,” exclaimed Stu.
These funds will go directly to support the mission of Special Olympics Illinois; to provide children and adults with intellectual disabilities year-round sports training and Olympic-style competition, as well as health education, and leadership development. Providing these opportunities allows Special Olympics Illinois athletes to demonstrate courage, experience joy, and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes, and the community.
“Stu, his family, and everyone involved in Club 400 have been wonderful partners,” says Jennifer Kelso, Senior Director – Unified Initiatives, Special Olympics Illinois. “We look forward to continuing our fundraising efforts by throwing more parties with Club 400 and breaking more records for the incredible athletes of Special Olympics Illinois.”
Special Olympics Illinois has the vision to shape a culture where people with and without intellectual disabilities are fully integrated into the community.
For more information on Club 400 visit club400cubs.com