Celebration 2025

The WTTW | WFMT Renée Crown Leadership Award is presented to The Walsh Family in recognition of their civic leadership in Chicago and beyond and longtime partnership with WTTW and WFMT. Their philanthropic and community involvement and that of The Walsh Foundation have had a significant impact on our region.

Matt and Joyce Walsh and Patty and Dan Walsh have been dedicated champions of WTTW and WFMT for more than 40 years. Their commitment extends to other organizations, such as Misericordia, St. Ignatius College Prep, Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, Lurie Children’s Hospital, St. Vincent DePaul Center, and the Notre Dame School of Architecture—to name a few.

We are thrilled to honor The Walsh Family with the WTTW | WFMT Renée Crown Leadership Award. Through their combined efforts, The Walsh Family embodies a spirit of service that uplifts our community, promotes education, and fosters a sustainable future.

Baratunde Thurston tells stories of interdependence through our relationship with nature, each other, and technology. He is an Emmy-nominated host, writer, public speaker, and proud Earthling. Baratunde is the host and executive producer of the PBS series America Outdoors. His newest creation is Life With Machines, a YouTube podcast focusing on the human side of the A.I. revolution. He is the creator and host of the How To Citizen podcast and a founding partner and writer at Puck. His comedic memoir, How To Be Black, is a New York Times best-seller. In 2019, he delivered what MSNBC’s Brian Williams called “one of the greatest TED talks of all time.” Baratunde is unique in his ability to integrate and synthesize different and difficult topics in a style that’s intelligent, compassionate, and humorous. Baratunde serves on the boards of Civics Unplugged and the Brooklyn Public Library.

Musical theater star Kate Baldwin has been nominated for the Tony, Drama Desk, Helen Hayes, and Outer Critic's Circle awards. On Broadway, she has appeared in Hello, Dolly!, Big Fish, Finian's Rainbow, Wonderful Town, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and The Full Monty. She starred in The King and I at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and has performed in concert with the Chicago Symphony, American Pops Orchestra, New York Pops, Boston Pops, National Symphony, Detroit Symphony, the American Songbook series at Lincoln Center, and the Kennedy Center. On television, her work includes a featured role in the PBS filming of Stephen Sondheim’s Passion. Kate is a 2023 Chicago/Midwest Emmy nominee (alongside partner HMS Media) for creating and producing Broadway Comes Home, a love letter to her hometown of Milwaukee. She is a proud advisory board member for Maestra Music, which provides support, visibility, and community for women and non-binary people in musical theatre. Kate’s debut album on PS Classics, Let’s See What Happens, features Lane and Harburg songs from both stage and film. Her second album celebrates the work of lyricist Sheldon Harnick and is titled She Loves Him. She is a graduate of Northwestern University.

Sponsorship and Benefits

We hope you will join WTTW and WFMT’s Celebration 2025! We welcome support from individuals, corporations, and foundations and are pleased to offer a number of unique ways to recognize your generous involvement. Learn more about sponsorship and related benefits.

Make your gift online or call (773) 509-5579 or email.