CHICAGO, Oct. 30, 2026 – Celebrating the power of philanthropy and partnership, GATHER brought more than 400 supporters together on Oct. 28 and raised nearly $900,000 to advance health access initiatives across Chicago’s South Side and Milwaukee’s Near West Side. The annual Advocate Health event has raised more than $2.2 million over the past three years.
Held at The Geraghty in Chicago, the evening opened with a performance by the Soul Children of Chicago and featured a conversation with Mellody Hobson, co-CEO of Ariel Investments, who reflected on growing up in Chicago and her commitment to youth empowerment and financial literacy. Hobson was joined in conversation by Dia Nichols, president of Advocate Health Care, who oversees operations in Illinois.
“Growing up across neighborhoods in Chicago showed me how much access matters,” said Hobson. “When people have the care, resources and support they need, families are stronger, communities are healthier and opportunities can extend across generations.”
Throughout the evening, speakers highlighted how philanthropy and partnership can expand opportunity, strengthen communities and improve health and well-being across Chicago’s South Side and Milwaukee’s Near West Side.
On Chicago’s South Side, residents face significant disparities in health outcomes and access to care, including a life expectancy gap of 30 years compared with Chicago’s North Side. In Milwaukee’s Near West Side, life expectancy is 13 years shorter than in communities just five miles away. Advocate Health is working alongside residents and community partners in both areas to address these disparities through investments shaped by each community’s needs.
"GATHER is a celebration of what can happen when healthcare organizations, community leaders, philanthropists and neighbors come together around a shared purpose," said Leslie Wininger, president of Advocate Charitable Foundation and Aurora Health Care Foundation. "The support generated through this event helps expand access to care, strengthen community health and make a lasting difference for individuals and families."
The investment on Chicago's South Side includes a new hospital to replace Advocate Trinity Hospital, 10 new Neighborhood Care sites, expanded outpatient services and workforce opportunities. In Milwaukee, The Beacon will bring together health and wellness programs, workforce development, housing support and other community resources, reflecting input from more than 1,000 neighbors, teammates and community organizations.
For Kinneil Coltman, chief consumer and social impact officer for Advocate Health, those investments reflect a broader approach to improving health rooted in listening to communities.
"Our role is not to arrive with the same answer everywhere," Coltman said. "It is to listen, understand what a community needs, bring together the right partners and resources, and invest in solutions that can create lasting change. That is how the strength and scale of Advocate Health can make a difference locally."
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