CHICAGO - Chicago Fire President/CEO John Guppy unveiled the club's 2006 Hispanic initiatives during a press conference held earlier today in the heart of Chicago's Mexican American community La Villita. The announcement included new and extended partnerships between the Fire and various educational and recreational institutions located in Hispanic neighborhoods throughout Chicagoland.
"We are proud and delighted to work with Chicagos educational and recreational leaders within the Latin American community," said Guppy. "We are determined in our goals to help create a better environment for many gifted students and athletes through our Foundation and community programs so that they can enjoy a better and more productive life. The Hispanic community and the Mexican American community in particular have greatly supported us for nine years and we are happy to be able to give back."
Among many of the programs that the Fire will initiate or continue to support are: the tremendously successful programs of Casa Central, Gad's Hill Center and el Valor. The Fire is proud of seeding the soccer program of Cristo Rey (Pilsen) High School program and the continued funding of Chicago Scores After School Program; school assembly programs brought to elementary schools in Little Village and Pilsen; and soccer camps and clinics through the clubs partnership with the YMCA of Metro Chicago. Currently, the Fire is working on developing a unique partnership with the YMCA at the Rauner Center.
"We continue to reach out to organizations whose programs support not just the sport of soccer but more importantly the in-school, after-school, summertime, and at-home environments of the thousands of young students within the Mexican/American community," said Senior Director of Community Relations and CEO of the FireWorks for Kids Foundation, Donald Ortale. "We look forward to an even stronger connection with this community in the future."
In addition to its support of recreational programs, the Fire is also involved in an array of health-related and artistic programs, such as the Active Kids Initiative and the programs at the Mexican Fine Arts Museum. Active Kids Initiative is a lifestyle program aimed at Hispanics and African Americans as both groups are the most at risk for obesity, asthma and diabetes.
Last November, the FireWorks for Kids Foundationthe Chicago Fires charitable armawarded a $10,000 grant to the Mexican Fine Arts Museum to support its free youth arts education programs which reach over 50,000 children each year. In addition to its arts education programs, the Museum also has two award-winning youth initiatives that complement and augment the institutions educational offerings: Radio Arte and the Yollocalli Youth Museum. Radio Arte works with over 120 youth who develop the entire programming for this 24-hour radio station. The Yollocalli Youth Museum reaches over 1,000 students every year and offers free classes in mural painting, art, poetry, theater, and web design, as well as training in the graphic arts, to children between the ages of 13 and 21. Both of these programs are located off-site in Pilsen.
The Fire has also renewed its partnership with Gift of Hope, once again promoting the importance of organ donation in the Hispanic community. The Fire assists in the regristration of organ donors through promotion at different clinics, in game activities, and other special events. Fire players Diego Gutierrez, Carlos Bocanegra, and most recently Andy Herron have served as spokesmen for the campaign.
In addition to all of the above programs, the Chicago Fire expects to announce a new venture with Mexican First Division sister club Monarcas Morelia in the near future. The club is also scheduled to host the sixth edition of Hispanic Heritage Night recognizing more than 50 outstanding leaders in the Hispanic community at its new home in Bridgeview later this year.
