NEWS  RELEASE

The Arboretum of South Barrington Provides Holiday Stockings to Children at St. Alexius Medical Center

SOUTH BARRINGTON, Ill. (December 22, 2008) – The Arboretum of South Barrington recently donated more than 100 holiday stockings to children at St. Alexius Medical Center in nearby Hoffman Estates. According to Katie Hammerberg, Child Life Specialist at St. Alexius, many of the gifts are especially appreciated in the E/R, radiology department and neonatal ICU, where the stockings will be given to encourage children who are waiting for exams or treatment.

Michael Jaffe, developer of The Arboretum, says the bright polka dot stockings were special ordered for the town center's holiday "gift-with-purchase" program. "We couldn’t think of a better way to spread cheer to children who might not be having so much fun during the holidays," Mr. Jaffe says. "So, we filled about 100 of them with plush reindeer and some other goodies to make the stockings especially attractive to kids, and delivered them to St. Alexius last week."

Mr. Jaffe is familiar with routine visits to children’s medical facilities. His daughter Lilly was diagnosed with diabetes when she was only one month old, and for six years he and his wife visited many hospital rooms and doctor's offices. Although Lilly is no longer dependent on insulin injections due to a cutting edge medical breakthrough that cured her rare type of diabetes, the Jaffe family never forgot the anxious hours waiting whenever medical exams or treatments were concerned. "Especially around the holidays, a medical incident can be doubly tough on a family,” he says, “so anything that eases the child's mind at a time like this will also ease their parents' minds."

Ms. Hammerberg says that individuals interested in donating items for similar programs at their neighborhood hospital or clinic should contact their Child Life Department. “We act as a liaison with other departments, which usually have limited resources and funds. It’s great to be able to give a child a stuffed animal to hold onto during a CT scan or other test. It helps ease their anxiety.” She says that donations are welcome the rest of the year, too. “Coloring books and crayons are great for children in isolated wards, and teenagers appreciate word games like Sudoku or MadLibs,” she says, “just as long as the toys are brand new.”  For more information, Ms. Hammerberg can be reached at the St. Alexius Child Life Department at (847) 843-2000 ext. 6634.

The Arboretum of South Barrington is a 600,000 square-foot retail town center in Chicago’s affluent northwest suburbs that opened in September 2008. The open-air center is named for the lush treescapes and gardens, and for the large tree farm that formerly stood on the site. Among retailers at The Arboretum of South Barrington are three unique anchors, including LL.Bean’s first Midwest outdoor gear and apparel store; the country’s first Village Roadshow Gold Class Cinemas, a luxury cinema experience and new way to go to the movies; and Pinstripes, Chicago’s own bowling, bocce and bistro concept. An upscale mix of fashion apparel brands, home furnishings, restaurants and other retailers will occupy spaces set amidst fountains, pathways and plazas  -- all less than a mile from the four-way interchange at I-90 (the region’s major transportation artery), at the highly coveted intersection of Illinois Routes 59 and 72. The center is a joint venture between The Jaffe Companies in Northbrook, Ill., and RREEF Alternative Investments, based in New York.

The Jaffe Companies, owner and developer of The Arboretum of South Barrington, has been developing successful shopping centers and mixed-use projects for nearly three decades across the US, primarily in the Midwest. Firm principal Michael Jaffe has been involved in several notable projects, including Huebner Oaks Center, a 400,000-square-foot lifestyle center in San Antonio, Texas; Geneva Commons, a 450,000-square-foot lifestyle center in Geneva, Ill; and The Arboretum Shopping Center in Austin, Texas.

RREEF Alternative Investments, the financial partner in developing The Arboretum of South Barrington, is the global alternative investment management business of Deutsche Bank’s Asset Management division. RREEF Alternative Investments consists of three businesses: Real Estate, Infrastructure and Private Equity. Headquartered in New York, RREEF Alternative Investments employs more than 1,400 investment professionals in 17 cities around the world to help investors meet a wide range of objectives – from diversification, to preservation of capital, to long-term performance. Named one of the world’s largest alternative investments managers in Global Investor/Watson Wyatt’s Alternative Survey, June 2008, RREEF has €55.2/$87.0 billion in assets under management worldwide as of June 30th, 2008. For more information, visit www.rreef.com.

WEB LINKS:
The Arboretum of South Barrington: www.shopthearboretumsb.com
Alexian Brothers Health System Foundation: www.alexianfoundation.org

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The Arboretum of South Barrington

Jonelle Kearney
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