Goombay 2025: Join Our Special Guests in Chicago!
Published Thursday, July 10, 2025
Meet Our Full Lineup of Goombay Bash Special Guests!
The Goombay Bash has always featured a roster of familiar faces from Chicago and beyond who help transform our fundraising evening into a truly unique event. Thanks to our Celebrity Guest of Honor and our Honorary Chair, awardees, and emcees, Goombay's guaranteed to provide a night of entertainment and fun!
Rob Lowe
Celebrity Guest of Honor
Hollywood icon, New York Times bestselling author, podcaster, and philanthropist
Rob Lowe is a passionate advocate for resilience in the face of adversity and leverages his platform to make an impact on the world. Known for his decades-long career in film, television, and theater, Lowe has been nominated for numerous Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Awards, winning two. Notable roles include St. Elmo’s Fire, About Last Night, The Outsiders, The West Wing, and Parks and Recreation, as well as directing The Bad Seed and serving as executive producer for Holiday in the Wild and 911 Lonestar.
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Kevin Burke
Honorary Chair
President, Burke Beverage, Inc.
Kevin Burke is a respected leader in the beverage industry and a proud steward of Burke Beverage, a family-owned and operated business known for its commitment to quality and community. Under Kevin’s leadership, Burke Beverage has continued to grow while supporting numerous charitable causes throughout the Chicagoland area. Kevin embodies everything the Goombay Bash stands for—compassion, connection, and a relentless commitment to ending cancer.
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Mike Lowe
Eye of the Tiger Awardee
WGN Reporter, Emmy Award Winner
WGN's Emmy Award winning reporter, Mike Lowe, has been on a mission to make people aware of the early signs of colorectal cancer. Last April, at age 44. Mike was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. Immediately, this beloved Chicago storyteller began telling his own...sharing his challenging journey of 30 rounds of radiation and 4 months of chemotherapy. Mike Lowe will be honored for his courage and determination at the H Foundation's 23rd Annual Goombay Bash, a fundraising event for basic science cancer research on July 26, 2025.
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Alan Karen
Rick Wiedemer Guiding Light Awardee
Senior Vice President of Global Sales, Satco | Nuvo Lighting
Alan Karen is the Senior Vice President of Global Sales at Satco | Nuvo Lighting, a leading manufacturer of innovative lighting solutions for residential, commercial, and industrial applications. With more than two decades of leadership experience, Alan has been instrumental in expanding Satco’s global presence, building strategic sales initiatives, and strengthening long-term industry relationships. Beyond his professional achievements, Alan has been a passionate and long-time supporter of The H Foundation and its mission to find a cure for cancer.
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2025 Goombay Bash Emcees
Andrea Darlas
Event Emcee
Sr. Director of Constituent Engagement
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Andrea Darlas is an Emmy-nominated, award-winning radio and television news anchor/reporter and talk show host based in Chicago. Darlas was a news anchor and reporter at WGN Radio for more than 22 years and a news reporter and weekend break/features reporter for WGN-TV for 10 years. Andrea is currently the Senior Director of Constituent Engagement for the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, based at the Illini Center in Chicago.
Dina Bair
Event Emcee
Award-Winning Journalist & Co-Anchor
WGN Midday News
Dina Bair is an Emmy award-winning journalist who is currently co-anchor for WGN Midday News. Dina is the recipient of numerous awards including nine Emmy awards, a Peter Lisagor award from the Society of Professional Journalists, and multiple Associated Press awards for both anchoring and reporting. Dina was named a Fellow by the National Press Foundation for the “Cancer Issues” seminar in Washington D.C.