A sold-out crowd of more than 200 guests packed Skokie Sports Park on Tuesday, Aug. 11, for the Liponi Foundation's annual Mini Golf Fundraiser, raising nearly $16,000 for the Maine-Niles Association of Special Recreation. The total surpassed last year's total of more than $12,000.
The event had been rescheduled from its original Aug. 5 date due to weather, and the morning of Aug. 11 brought more storms. Skies cleared. Guests played mini golf, bought raffle tickets and made donations throughout the evening.
Every dollar raised goes directly to M-NASR, which has provided recreation programs for children, teens and adults with disabilities since 1972. The association serves more than 1,300 individuals across seven member park districts, including the Park Ridge Park District and Niles Park District, through over 600 programs each year. Those programs range from competitive athletics and aquatics to cultural arts, day camps and Special Olympics opportunities.
The Skokie Park District donated the venue and food for the evening. Will's Place, a nonprofit café in Skokie, provided desserts.
The Liponi Foundation for Special Recreation was founded in 1990 specifically to support M-NASR. Audra Ebling, writing on M-NASR's website, described the fundraiser as a decades-long tradition sustained by a community that returns each year to support recreation access for people with disabilities.
The roughly $4,000 jump over 2025's total came from a mix of mini golf fees, raffle ticket sales, sponsorships and individual donations. The 2025 event also drew more than 200 guests, meaning the revenue increase came from deeper giving rather than a larger crowd.
M-NASR was named the Niles Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year at the Night of Roses event on May 1 and was also recognized as the Lincolnwood Chamber of Commerce 2026 Non-Profit of the Year.
Residents interested in M-NASR programs can visit mnasr.org for fall registration details.
Upcoming community events:
- Saturday, Aug. 22: Park Ridge Library lawn party celebrating 1,800 summer readers
- Monday, Aug. 24: Pace student bus fare drops to 75 cents
