Chicago Bulls join Chance the Rapper, pledge $1 million to Chicago Public Schools

Chance the Rapper held a press conference at Chicago’s Robeson High School on Friday to announce that the Chicago Bulls have matched his pledge to donate $1 million to Chicago Public Schools.

Chance the Rapper held a press conference at Chicago’s Robeson High School on Friday to announce that the Chicago Bulls have matched his pledge to donate $1 million to Chicago Public Schools.

In a presser streamed live online, Chance (neé Chancelor Bennett) announced the news on behalf of the Bulls organization and owner Jerry Reinsdorf. The Chicago native, CPS graduate and wildly popular recording artist announced last month that he’d donate $1 million to support Chicago’s struggling school system, with the city underfunded in Illinois’ current budget situation.

Bennett met with Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner last month to discuss CPS funding prior to his own donation to myriad CPS schools and the CPS foundation. He also announced Friday the creation of the New Chance Arts & Literature Fund, helping assist CPS schools in need of funding for tthe arts.

The Bulls stepped up to the plate to assist with the Chicago Board of Education’s $215 million budget gap, which according to the Chicago Sun-Times stems largely in part from a need to pay teachers’ pensions. Chance added that he has raised $2.2 million for CPS since his first announcement through donations from other notable figures.