Michelle Obama Makes the Chicago Rounds

First lady helps raise money at Waldorf Astoria, has a little fun with daughters

First Lady Michelle Obama is raising big bucks in Chicago Thursday, but also making time for some good fun and good food.

Obama is in the city for a Democratic National Committee event at the Waldorf Astoria in Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood.

The first lady entered the event through a back door shortly before 4 p.m.

Gov. Pat Quinn was also spotted entering the hotel.

According to a pool report, Obama spoke for 20 minutes before 100 people and asked the Democratic supporters to "dig deep" to "help make a better future for children, including those in neighborhoods fraught by gun violence in Chicago."

"There are kids, like the kids here in Chicago, who are confronting outrageous levels of violence," Obama said. "Kids who are losing their lives day after day. Shootings that devastate our communities and break our hearts and rob this country of so much talent and promise. Those kids deserve so much better than this."

Obama also urged the crowd to help Quinn across "the finish line."

Tickets ranged from $500-$20,000 per person for the event, which will go toward Democratic fall congressional campaigns.

The first lady's visit back to Chicago comes amid speculation about the post-administration home for the Obama family.

Reports earlier this week had the family looking at a home in Palm Springs, California and New York has also been mentioned as a possibility, but there's been no official word from the White House.

The Obamas still have their home in Chicago's Kenwood neighborhood.

Mrs. Obama went to dinner at River North's Sunda restaurant at around 6 p.m.

She snapped photos with the staff and with part-owner Billy Dec, recently named to the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

The first lady was then expected to attend the Beyoncé and Jay-Z concert at Soldier Field with daughters Sasha and Malia.

Celebrity makeup artist Reggie Wells was among the many fans headed to the concert.

"I worked with Beyoncé a lot time ago with Destiny's Child, so I'm excited about going to the concert myself. And then to hear Michele Obama's around, then I got excited, because that used to be my client as well, so this is like ol' home week," Wells said.

The Obamas are expected to spend the night in their Kenwood home.

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