Fritchey and Gandhi to Receive Changemaker Award at Fair Trade Gala

Chicago Fair Trade will host a gala event at Open Secret Studio, in Chicago, featuring a silent auction, raffle, small bites, fair trade chocolate fondue and cocktails, craft beer and wine from 5:30 to 9 p.m., October 16, as part of Globalfest. Cook County 12th District Commissioner John Fritchey and renowned social justice advocate Ami Gandhi will receive the annual Changemaker Award. Laura Ng, executive director of Traffick Free, an organization working to combat human trafficking and transform the lives of its victims, will serve as emcee.

Fritchey and Gandhi both played a critical roles in Chicago Fair Trade’s successful campaign to pass an anti-sweatshop ordinance in Cook County last spring, which was inspired by a similar ordinance passed in Chicago last year. This year’s gala will feature the stories of Asian producers from India, Nepal, Cambodia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Palestine that illustrate how everyday products we buy locally, from jewelry and clothing to coffee and chocolate, are transforming the lives of workers and their communities in Asia.

Tickets: $55 in advance; $65 at the door. Location: 401 N. Racine St., Chicago. For more information, visit ChicagoFairTrade.org.