LAGRANGE, IL – The H Foundation has announced that the recipient of the 2026 Rick Wiedemer Guiding Light Award will be Rick Seidman, President & CEO of Quoizel.
The award will be presented at the July 25 Goombay Bash, an annual fundraiser at the Aon Grand Ballroom on Chicago’s Navy Pier benefiting basic science cancer research at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University.
Since its founding in 2001 by Hortons Home Lighting and other LaGrange, IL, businesses, The H Foundation and the Goombay Bash have been celebrated and supported by a sense of community. This grassroots spirit has underscored the message that “Cancer is Personal,” affecting real people—families, friends, neighbors, partners and patrons.
In 2017, The H Foundation created an opportunity to specifically celebrate the lighting industry community for its unwavering and continued support. The Guiding Light Award was created to honor companies and individuals in the lighting community for their consistent and enduring efforts supporting The H Foundation’s mission to fund basic science research and find a cure for cancer. Quoizel, as a company, was presented with the inaugural award, along with Generation Lighting, Hinkley, Kichler, Satco and WAC Lighting. Subsequent recipients have included Lighting One President Gregg Garofalo, Hubbardton Forge CEO Maria Mullen, former WAC Lighting Co-CEOs Dirk and Shelley Wald, SATCO President Bill Gildin, and SATCO Senior Vice President of Global Sales Alan Karen.
In 2022, the award was given posthumously to former Hinkley CEO Rick Wiedemer, for whom the award is now named. The Rick Wiedemer Guiding Light Award is given annually to an individual or company who exemplifies the leadership qualities that will guide others toward a brighter future in which no one will suffer the hardships of this horrible disease that affects one in three people. Thanks to the lighting industry and other supporters, The H Foundation has raised more than $15 million to date.
Nominations are accepted from the entire lighting industry for the Rick Wiedemer Guiding Light Award. These nominations were reviewed by a committee to determine the 2026 recipient.
Seidman’s passion for advancing cancer research, combined with his longstanding commitment to The H Foundation and the lighting industry, makes him a truly deserving recipient of the 2026 Rick Wiedemer Guiding Light Award.
Like so many, cancer became deeply personal to him at a young age when his father passed away from pancreatic cancer. Years later, cancer would impact his family again when his wife’s sister lost her battle with cancer just 45 days after their wedding. Because cancer ran in both of their families, Seidman’s wife underwent BRCA genetic testing and, after receiving a positive result, took proactive steps to eradicate the disease before it could progress. Today, their two daughters have also tested positive for the BRCA gene and continue to closely monitor their health with the support of advancements in research and technology.
Through every challenge, Seidman and his family have approached cancer with determination, hope, and action. His message is simple yet powerful: Do not live in fear.
Tickets are now available to attend the July 25 Goombay Bash, which runs 5 p.m. to midnight and has a casual Caribbean theme where tropical prints and comfortable attire are encouraged. Tickets are $195 or $350 for VIP seating and can be purchased at www.goombaybash.com.
Donations of cash or items and services for auction are also accepted, and there are multiple levels of sponsorship opportunities available.
About The H Foundation
The H Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, with 100% of funding supplied through donations. Since its inception, it has raised over $15 million for the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University. These funds are used as seed money for basic science cancer research projects to help them compete for additional government or private funding. As a result, donations have been leveraged into over $300 million of research dollars toward finding a cure.
Launched in 2001, The H Foundation was created, as many great ideas are, over a cocktail—this one named the “Goombay Smash.” It started out as a few friends with entrepreneurial spirit who decided they could make a difference in the fight against cancer. As a result, for the past 25 years, the organization has hosted the Goombay Bash, a Caribbean-themed fundraising event held at Navy Pier that now draws over 1,000 guests and raises over $1.2 million, along with other special events that make a difference in the fight against cancer.
EDISONREPORT EDITOR’S NOTE
The H Foundation has raised over $15 million for cancer research since 2001, with the lighting industry playing a central role in that effort. Rick Seidman’s selection reflects both his personal connection to cancer’s impact and his longstanding commitment to the cause. The Goombay Bash on July 25 at Navy Pier remains one of the more genuinely community-driven fundraising events the lighting industry supports each year. We congratulate Rick on this well-deserved recognition.