Stepping into the Sanfilippo's

BARRINGTON HILLS – Most who tour the Sanfilippo estate in Barrington Hills call their trip a treat. Similarly, the homeowners savor sharing their abode with anyone who's willing to give back.

The internationally known "Place de la Musique," at 789 Plum Tree Road, is a frequent destination for philanthropic visitors who are shuttled around the property in coach buses. A special event Saturday raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for three area children's charities.

Estate director Greg Leifel called Saturday's Carousel of Dreams fundraiser "typical" for the residence.

"We do this sort of thing just about every weekend," Leifel said.

As scheduled, about 280 guests arrived in the early evening for a look into the large-scale automatic music machine collection of Jasper Sanfilippo, who has been operating his family's shelled nut company in the greater Chicago area for more than 50 years.

Home collection

The estate houses about 6,000 total antiques, Leifel said, with Sanfilippo still adding to his 40-year collection of antique music machines, phonographs, arcade and gambling machines, chandeliers, lamps and art glass, regularly.

Leifel said every machine, including the world's largest restored theater pipe organ, "looks and sounds brand new."

Sanfilippo and his wife, Marian, had the original 6,000 square-foot home built in 1974 before recreating a century-old ice cream parlor in the basement alongside antique arcade and slot machines. The music machine collection took off in 1978. A new storage barn was built on the property 11 years later, and a major addition was made to the living area of the home in 1990.

Sanfilippo said he's had a passion for antiques and music machines all his life.

An eye-catching main floor entry foyer with a 3,000-pound, stained glass, dome skylight and a grand staircase is just the beginning for anyone who dares to explore.

Music machines in the foyer include a Style 30A Wurlitzer Mandolin PianOrchestra and a Welte Style IV orchestrion. The focal point of the entry, however, is a large Imhog and Mukle barrel-operated orchestrion made in the early 1890s in Germany. A large music theater in the home can seat up to 350 guests, bringing the total area of all levels of the residence and music theater to about 44,000 square feet.

Guests wander seemingly endless rooms of antiques, at their leisure, rarely passing the same person twice.

Before too long, the party moves to the estate's Carousel Pavilion, which is home to the Eden Palace carousel, built in 1890. The carousel itself is 89 feet wide and 42 feet tall. An 89-key Gavioli organ produces tunes for riders climbing aboard 36 life-size, hand-carved horses. Surrounding the carousel is a 20-foot-tall, 8,000-pound cast iron street clock and a Victorian-era Pullman Palace railroad car.

Making it count

Charitable functions at the Sanfilippo home have raised millions of dollars over the years. Since 1987, local, regional and national charities have held private concerts and gala fundraising events at the estate. Guided group tours can be booked with a 40-guest minimum.

One of Jasper Sanfilippo's sons, Jim Sanfilippo, said his family foundation's mission is to educate the public about the collection, and to help children and families.

Likewise, a Orange County, Calif.-based organization known as Festival of Children has been working for about five years to improve the lives of children by strengthening the charities that serve them.

With 400 member charities worldwide, Festival of Children has planned Carousel of Dreams fundraisers at prominent locations, such as Central Park and Disney Land. The Sanfilippo's home carousel was added to the venue list about three years ago, helping the charity raise over $100,000, on site, for children, each year. Last year, Sanfilippo guests raised just over $150,000.

Saturday's number has yet to be reported, but organizers said it will safely be over $200,000.

Festival of Children founder Sandy Daniels said the whole thing began with an idea to "stick some political leaders and business persons on a carousel, equipped with nothing but their cell phones, to see how much pledge money they could raise before hopping off."

Accounting for all Festival of Children events around the country, Daniels said nearly $1 million has been raised so far.

Daniels said Sanfilippo carousel fund raisers had the option to text message for donations or fill out pledge cards at their dinner table.

Event guest speakers included family representatives from beneficiary charities – Ronald McDonald House, St. Jude Children's Hospital, and The Little Angels Center for Exceptional Care. Proceeds will provide Little Angels with therapeutic care beds; Ronald McDonald with a new porch, and St. Jude with rounds of chemo treatments for leukemia.

Ronald McDonald House CEO Doug Porter thanked the Sanfilippos and guests for "having the heart" to make a difference. Steve Bellock, a father from Elgin, joked that the Chicago Ronald McDonald House was "one of the nicest houses" he's ever been in, "until tonight actually."

Bellock said the charity made it possible for him and his wife to spend quality time with their newborn twins after one baby was born severely ill.

Compliments were directed toward St. Jude and Little Angels as well.

"It's because of this fundraising that we've never had to pay a hospital bill," a mother said. "Thank you for helping us save our child."