CHICAGO _ The Chicago Sports Alliance, a collective formed by the Bulls, Blackhawks, Bears, White Sox and Cubs, announced that it will donate $1 million in grants to support an anti-violence initiative.
"These kids don't know when they go to school, the route they take, whether it's the last day of their lives," Bulls president Michael Reinsdorf said Friday at a luncheon at the MB Ice Arena.
It's the second year of the Alliance, which funded training for crime lab analysts last year. This year's grant money continues its support of the partnership by the University of Chicago Crime Lab and Choose to Change, which employs mentoring by Youth Advocate Programs and therapy by Children's Home and Aid.
"We don't want to just write a check, get a photo op and walk away," Bears Chairman George McCaskey said. "We want to be invested in it, (and) not just financially."
New this year, the Alliance is also helping fund READI Chicago (Rapid Employment and Development Initiative), an 18-month job training and behavioral therapy program, based on research that indicates that the combination of therapy and jobs help participants make better decisions during high-stakes situations.
The Alliance grant helps expand the program to include more young men in the highest risk group for becoming involved in gun violence.
The collaboration by Chicago's five sports teams echoes a trend by some of the major sports leagues to increase their involvement in community and social justice efforts.
In March, Bears linebacker Sam Acho and McCaskey discussed prison reform as they toured the Louisiana State Penitentiary. Both were involved in an $813,850 donation by Bears players, staff and Bears and NFL foundations to award grant money to five Chicago-area youth programs earlier this month.
