Three Hinsdale couples with personal ties to cancer loss are chairing the 2026 Wellness House Ball on Saturday, Oct. 24, at the Ritz-Carlton in Chicago.

The gala, themed "Light the Way," benefits Wellness House, the nonprofit at 131 N. County Line Road that has offered free cancer support programs since 1990. Co-chairs are Dr. Angela Crowley and Dr. R. Webster Crowley; Jennifer Carmody Haunty and Jake Haunty; and Dr. Gale England Smith and Stephen Smith. Three of the six lost spouses to cancer, The Hinsdalean reported.

Jennifer Carmody Haunty found Wellness House after her husband's death. She started grief therapy there and enrolled her children in the organization's "Turtles" program.

"What an incredible stroke of fate that we moved to Hinsdale with Wellness House less than a mile from my home," she said.

She added that she wishes every town had a similar resource so people facing cancer feel less alone.

Jake Haunty moved to Hinsdale from Seattle to be closer to family after his wife's death. His sister-in-law, Molly Haunty, is the 2026 Wellness House board chair. She and Dr. Gale England Smith introduced the couple at a previous Wellness Ball.

Dr. Gale England Smith, a breast cancer surgeon, said she first learned about Wellness House in 2000 when she moved to Hinsdale for her first job. Stephen Smith, her husband and a former Wellness House board chair, said the organization's free programs help families through some of the hardest stretches of their lives.

Wellness House runs more than 525 programs each month, including exercise classes, nutrition seminars, counseling and support groups, all at no cost, according to the organization's website. More than 52,000 individuals and families have used its services since its founding, according to The Hinsdalean.

The Oct. 24 evening includes a cocktail reception, dinner, live and silent auctions, a mission-focused program and dancing. Tickets and details are available at wellnesshouse.org/ball.