The team celebrated its community initiatives and partners alongside fans at the United Center
Through Chicago Bulls Charities (CBC) and the team’s Community Relations department, the Bulls contribute time, materials, resources and financial donations to organizations focused on gun violence prevention – the north star of its community efforts. Each year, annual grants are given to a select group of organizations through CBC and with support from the Community Assist Fund through the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
Earlier this month, the Bulls hosted its annual Chicago Bulls Charities Night at the United Center – a celebration of the team’s community engagement efforts, CBC grant recipients and community partners that work to address Chicago’s most critical issues. Grant recipients were invited to attend and participate in CBC Night during the Bulls’ home game vs. the Washington Wizards.
To tip off the night, students from After School Matters,a local nonprofit that provides lifechanging afterschool and summer programming to nearly 19,000 teenagers each year, sang and signed the National Anthem. Youth from Breakthrough, a nonprofit based in East Garfield that supports those affected by poverty through six focus areas, including education and youth development, economic opportunity and violence prevention, stood alongside Bulls players during the performance.
Youth from the MAAFA Redemption Project, a faith-based residential institute for men of color that offers workforce training, spiritual development and other supports, presented the game ball as an honorary captain.
Participants in the “Dress and Dribble,” an in-game competition where two contestants race to get dressed in Bulls gear and make a shot on the court, were from Bright Star Community Outreach, a nonprofit focused on uplifting Chicago’s most vulnerable neighborhoods through community development initiatives and programming, enabling them to thrive with support from various community stakeholders.
Fans also enjoyed a special halftime performance by youth from Forward Momentum through After School Matters. A Chicago-based nonprofit, Forward Momentum offers dance education programs to strengthen schools and communities with limited access to art and art education. Giving back to communities in need across Chicago is a longstanding priority of the Reinsdorf family and therefore embedded into the culture of the Bulls organization. Our community work would not be possible without the generous contributions of our corporate partners, season ticket holders, fans and fundraising programs. To learn more about our efforts, follow the Bulls Community Instagram and Twitter accounts @bullscommunity.