Chicago Bulls star point guard put his money where his mouth is when he donated $1 million to After School Matters, a Chicago-based non-profit organization devoted to providing innovative out-of-school programs for teenagers.
“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, who is a point guard for the Chicago Bulls. “So many people have invested in me and I want to do the same for Chicago’s teens.”
Derrick Rose donates $1 million to @AftrSchoolMttrs http://t.co/p6Sun4NRQr pic.twitter.com/YgoicI8HQr
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) September 24, 2014
The teen population that After School Matters serves is almost entirely minority and living at or below the poverty level.
The money will be used to drive the growth of unique programming experiences for teenagers throughout the city in the arts, communications, science, sports and technology according to E. Robbie Robinson, Vice Chair of After School Matters Board of Directors, Co-Chair of the organization’s 2014 Annual Gala, and a Managing Director at Chicago-based BDT & Company.
“Derrick’s significant contribution is making a tremendous statement to Chicago that our teens do matter,” said Robinson. “We are grateful for Derrick’s generosity, as we work hard to provide a safe and productive environment for teens to learn and explore their interests outside of the classroom. We look forward to partnering with Derrick and the Rose family to continue to expand our programs and reach even more of teens for many years to come.”