Chicago's Derrick Rose born and bred....making a major commitment to helping the next generation of young Chicagoans make their own way in the world.
The three-time All-Star point guard is donating $1 million to After School Matters, a nonprofit dedicated to developing outside-of-school apprenticeship programs to help Chicago public high school students explore their passions for areas like the arts, sciences, sports and emerging technologies, with an eye toward developing skills for continuing education and future employment. The organization's efforts primarily benefit ethnic minority students living at or below the poverty line, according to a Bulls' statement announcing Rose's donation, and a cool million ought to do an awful lot to bolster those efforts:
“To have a strong community of people who believe in your potential can make all the difference in the world,” said Rose, a native of Englewood [...] “So many people have invested in me and I want to do the same for Chicago’s teens.” [...]
“My message to our kids is simple — you matter, you deserve every opportunity in life, and you can and should dream big because dreams can come true,” said Rose.