March 24, 2017
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Hello and welcome to our March 2017 Jane Network Newsletter! We want to thank you for your comments, suggestions and feedback. We received many ideas on our "Name the Newsletter" contest, and we will be deciding the name of the winning submission in our next newsletter, as well as Facebook and Twitter. Below are some of the entries.
• Eventorials
• E-Venting
• Jammin Your In Box
• RFP- Read, find and plan
• Eventor bits
• Jotting by Jane
• Eventor Notes
• Me Jane! You Listen!
• Jane-o-graphic
• Tell-a-Canepa
• Canepa Express
• Mashup
And remember the winner of the contest gets a lunch or dinner date with Jane at GIOCO - our new client, a charming Italian Restaurant in the south loop - www.giocochicago.com
In the coming months, you will read about life as an “Eventor”, our past, present and future clients. Catch up with me and many of my former students and join us for some professional and social networking.
Social Media Social Hour Join Jane at Kiki's Bistro the last Monday of every month from 5:30 pm – 7 pm for a fun and social night. Bring your smile and business cards for networking. Dinner and drink specials will be offered. RSVP to info@eventors.us or call 312.217.JANE (5263).
Next meeting: Monday, March 27
Kiki's Bistro 900 N. Franklin Street Chicago, IL 60610 312.335.5454 www.kikisbistro.com
40 years! “Time flies when you are having fun!” “Every day is a special event!” And to quote my late great mother – Alberta J. Canepa “The first hundred years are the hardest!”
Many of you know I spent my youth in Baraboo, Wisconsin, and our family was “not normal!” What is normal about being one of eleven siblings and then as a sideline your parents own and operate a dancing school and you are part of a professional family tap dancing troupe!? I tell people that we are like “the Waltons” only we tap dance! I learned my event and promotions craft from my father, Tony and the business side from my mother, Alberta. To learn more about the Canepa School of Dance, visit www.dancingcanepas.com.
TONY
From my father Tony, brother Tony, my son Christopher “Anthony”, nephew Tony and my sister Antoinette affectionately called “Toni”, I am surrounded by Tonys. There isn’t a Tony that I don’t like!
Tony Canepa III
Tony Canepa III has the genes of my father Tony; he is charming, tall, although blonde, and talented. At age two he began dancing! His first Halloween costume was as a tap dancer, complete with tuxedo jacket, cummerbund, and tap shoes. Today he is a college student in Arizona and created a video project about the neighborhood, “The Greenbush”, where my father grew up in Madison, WI. Tony created the video for his dad, Tom. The heartfelt story tells of my father’s growing up long before he started on the dancing trail. View the video here. Image Caption from left to right: Charlie, Vinnie, and Tony
Christopher Anthony Jonsson Next let’s talk about apples – after all I am a teacher! I am most proud of my one and only son, Christopher Anthony Jonsson. Born in 1979 and the son of an Icelander and a Sicilian/German, this “apple” has not fallen very far from the tree. Christopher was raised in Chicago, summered in Baraboo and Wisconsin Dells and has followed me into the entrepreneur world. He is the Regional Systems Manager of Nixon Peabody LLP in Chicago handling all things computer related. He does freelance work under the umbrella Systems Restore , Inc. (LLC) (www.systemsrestore.com), and although he doesn’t have time to help me with my computer, website or technological issues, he has made me a very proud grandmother of two darling little girls, Elliana Mary (6) and Hannah Jane (3) – I am hoping the girls will show me how to scan and facetime!
Anthony "Tony" DeCavitch
As one of the original students of “Jammin with Jane”, Tony graduated from Columbia with a B.A. , in Management and minored in Marketing Communications. Tony went on to become an event coordinator at The Eventors and assisted me with such events as the Motorola Half Marathon and Relays and Boston Market’s national events including Easter at The White House. After completing an MBA, Tony teamed up with fellow classmate Katja Lindy-Wilkinson who also took my "How to Manage and Promote a Special Event" class. Together Katja and Tony are building a worldwide brand of specialty tools and equipment from Katja’s native Finland in pipeline rehabilitation. To learn more, visit picotesolutions.com.
ToniAnn Fedele ToniAnn Fedele was in my class in 2009 and graduated from Columbia that same year – she took charge of the Jammin with Jane site committee and has never looked back. Building a career in the Hotel and Hospitality Industry – she parlayed what she learned into a very rewarding career. ToniAnn also took on something that she enjoyed and turned it into a movement that has been an inspiration for women and girls who have been victims of domestic violence. Pretty Fingers is a project that she developed as part of a post-college leadership class. Staying connected with me, ToniAnn was able to visit the current class at Columbia and gain some support and promotion of her project. ToniAnn is currently collecting new nail polish and nail supplies to donate to Connections for Abused Women and their Children and Chicago Children’s Center for Behavioral Health at St. Elizabeth Hospital. She will be accepting donations through March 31st and hosting a Pretty Fingers Drop-Off Event on Sunday, March 26th at Lena Rose in the historic Ravenswood Manor neighborhood. If you are interested in learning more about Pretty Fingers and/or attending her Drop-Off Event, you can contact her directly at prettyfingerschicago@gmail.com or reach out to her from the Pretty Fingers Facebook Group Page https://www.facebook.com/groups/355935601254115/.
Upcoming Jammin With Jane: Sunday, April 30th | 11 am - 4 pm
At House of Blues Chicago - Benefiting the Sunflower Project, an organization that helps sexual assault, domestic violence, and dating abuse victim. To learn more visit www.towardsthesun.org. To learn more about Jammin with Jane, visit www.jamminwithjane.com
Karim Tonsy
Dancing into my world many years ago was Karim Tonsy. He is an international choreographer, fitness and dance professional, personal trainer and custom built bodies programmer and Lululemon ambassador. Karim instructs his popular group fitness classes around the city and is working now on developing his own brand" Tonskin" that includes his expertise in fitness and dance training and soon his new active wear line. Stay tuned for the launch of his new website www.Tonskin.com
Antoinette "Toni" Canepa Scully
Antoinette “Toni” Canepa Scully and I have deep roots in Chicago. I followed her to Chicago to be part of Carson Pirie Scott & Co’s College Board in 1968. We met many "celebs" who came to town to promote themselves, their products and visit the city. From Arthur Ashe, Estee Lauder, Gregory Peck, Polly Bergen, Sonny & Cher to Apollo astronauts in a ticker tape parade. As a dancing family we were invited to participate in many parades in Chicago such as the Columbus Day Parade and the Chicago Christmas Parade. To this day, the Canepas are still dancing and danced at Tony Canepa's wedding as shown above. From left to right: Tom, Diane, Joe, Tony, Bertie, Jane, Jim, Nette "Toni", and Chris (missing Claire)
Tony Canepa And speaking of dancing – when you are in the special events business it always helps to have a big family with which to draw upon. If you need a crowd at an event, a cheerleader or some help carrying a few boxes and banners be sure to ask family and friends. My brother Tony was just that person as my first “Eventor” he stepped up and polka-ed out as a dancing costumed Vienna Hot Dog named “Stosh” at a City of Chicago street festival. He did such a great job that he was also invited to dance on a WGN TV Channel 9 news. Thanks, Tony – and remember you were the first and to this day “anonymous” talent in The Eventors and Chicago’s history books! Tony took a giant step last week as he married his long-time love Sheila Pagett on St. Patrick's Day in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. We joined as a family to witness and be part of a a wonderful event. We gathered with Sheila's family and spent a few days in celebration - we laughed, loved and performed our family buck and wing tap dance to "Whispering!"
Remember to keep connected, attend a social media social hour the last Monday of every month at Kiki's Bistro. And if you still want to learn how to tap dance - let me know!!