Chicago Hounds and Enchanted Backpack Team up to Support 700 Students at Local School in Need
December 4, 2023 - Major League Rugby (MLR)
Chicago Hounds News Release
Enchanted Backpack, a leading Chicago-area nonprofit committed to providing essential school supplies and educational resources to under-resourced served schools, is thrilled to announce a special collaboration with
the Chicago Hounds Major League Rugby team. The two organizations are partnering to deliver school supplies and much more to benefit 700 students at John C. Dore Elementary School in Chicago, IL.
This joint effort between Enchanted Backpack and the Chicago Hounds is part of their shared commitment to support education and empower students from underserved communities who may be facing many challenges. It
also aims to alleviate the burdens that often fall on their teachers.
In addition to the supply distribution, the Chicago Hounds players, coaches, and staff and the Enchanted Backpack staff will spend time with the students, engaging in sports-related activities and offering words of encouragement
and motivation. Together, the goal is to use the combination of academic support and athletic inspiration to help students see that many different people believe in them, and they should continue to believe in themselves.
Entering its second season as Chicago's professional rugby franchise, the Chicago Hounds are committed to good sportsmanship on and off the pitch. "We love nothing more than sharing our love of rugby and the teamwork
required to play it at its highest form," said James English, Chicago Hounds CEO and General Manager. "Teamwork is something kids understand. That's our starting point. Then we go from there with messages of playing and living
with passion, integrity, and resiliency. It's an honor to help Enchanted Backpack deliver school supplies, books, soft goods, and athletic equipment to students attending school near SeatGeek stadium, where we play."
Carol Lavin Bernick reflected, "We're excited to have the Chicago Hounds join us at Dore Elementary. We love providing tools and resources to students in need. They are also in for a real treat to be able to interact with the Hounds players and learn some basics about rugby and life. We have to put in the hard work, no matter what we want to be good at or what we want to achieve."
Enchanted Backpack was founded in 2017 by Carol Lavin Bernick and her family with the belief that all children deserve to have the tools they need to learn and excel and that all teachers deserve to have the support and materials to make their classrooms exciting learning centers. To-date, the nonprofit has reached over 140,000 students across Northern Illinois and Northwestern Indiana. Elementary and middle schools with student populations of 50% or greater who qualify for Free or Reduced Lunch are eligible to apply. Although the average retail value of a Mobile Van delivery is $40,000, Enchanted Backpack's cost is only $10,000 thanks to Bernick's savvy buying based on her almost four decades of corporate experience developing globally-recognized consumer brands and leading the Alberto Culver Corporation. In addition to its Partnership program, Enchanted Backpack also supports schools through its other programs that include Adopt-A-School, Teacher Appreciation, and Washer/Dryers.
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