Highland Park Neighbors Magazine Articles

Highland Park Community Foundation (HPCF) is proud to welcome DINX Social Club as our newest Silver Level Corporate Champion! With deep roots in the community, DINX’s generous spirit perfectly reflects HPCF’s core belief and guiding principle: Give Where You Live.

“Corporate Champions support the community by helping to provide funding for the annual grants we award each October,” said David Israel, HPCF Treasurer. “What drives them is how deeply they care about Highland Park and Highwood—they live and breathe this community.”

Support from local businesses is essential to advancing HPCF’s mission of addressing unmet needs, and we are deeply grateful for DINX’s dedication and leadership, shown through their commitment as a Corporate Champion.

“The role of Corporate Champions goes far beyond philanthropy,” added Alyssa Knobel, HPCF Board Member. “Just as businesses invest in their own growth, their pledge to HPCF is an investment in the well-being of the entire community. We are especially excited to welcome DINX Social Club as a new Corporate Champion. DINX embodies the spirit of connection— bringing people together through pickleball, golf, and social experiences—and now, through their five-year pledge, they’re extending that connection to support the broader community.”

DINX Founders L to R: John Bakalar, Christine Bakalar, Brooke Sloane, David Sloane

DINX Social Club was founded by the Sloane and Bakalar families—longtime Highland Park residents—after the idea sparked during a family vacation. Christine and John Bakalar, along with their daughter and son-in-law Brooke and David Sloane, have called Highland Park home for nearly 50 years. They are truly pillars of the community, deeply rooted through both personal ties and philanthropic involvement.

“Their family is wonderful, and they are incredibly involved philanthropically,” said Betsy Brint, former HPCF Chair. “The minute that they heard about the Community Foundation, they jumped on board. They’re community-minded and want to make an impact in both Highland Park and Highwood.”

In addition to supporting the community through their financial commitment to the Foundation, DINX Social Club enriches local life by offering what co-founder David Sloane describes as a ‘third space’—a welcoming, vacation-inspired environment where the décor sets a relaxing and warm tone.

“Since the pandemic, the lines between work and home have blurred,” David shared. “People were doing everything from home and losing connection with one another—and, in some cases, with themselves. We wanted to create a space where people can come, socialize, have a drink, and enjoy a night out, in addition to exercising and engaging in an activity.”

Leaning into the hospitality aspect of the business, David added, “At DINX Social Club, we like to say we know your name and we know your game.”

DINX offers a variety of programming—from intro beginner clinics (some of which are free) to open play and league programming for both pickleball and golf. The facility is also available for private event rentals. “We have a vibrant social scene,” David noted. “Our space is unlike anything else currently available in this area in terms of sports entertainment. It feels more like a chic lounge than a pickleball court or a gym.”

Expanding their investment and commitment to the wellness of our community, DINX Social Club will host “DINX+LINX 4 PINX” this October. This month-long initiative will offer multiple pickleball and golf events to support the important education and research efforts of Chicago’s Lynn Sage Breast Cancer Foundation.

Reflecting on the decision to become an HPCF Corporate Champion, David said it was a “no brainer.” “My wife grew up here with her siblings, we’re raising our family here, and we have invested our business in this community. We want to make sure that, in turn, we are supporting all the members of our community. We invested in Highland Park and Highwood because we see the potential here, and we want to make sure that we do our part to deliver on that potential to all its citizens.”

HPCF is honored to welcome DINX Social Club as a Corporate Champion. Their dedication to giving back to the place they call home helps ensure that individuals and families throughout Highland Park and Highwood receive the support and services they need.

If your business is interested in becoming a Corporate Champion, please contact Terri Olian, HPCF Executive Director, at terri@hpcfil.org, or Steve Schapiro, HPCF Director of Philanthropy, at steve@hpcfil.org.