Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® will host its 90th Central Regional Conference in Chicago from Feb. 29 to March 3 at Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center. Staying true to its mission of “Service to All Mankind”, the sorority is hosting several community service and public events for the Chicagoland community. Nearly 4,000 members from graduate and undergraduate chapters in Central Region’s eight states will attend the four-day meeting.
All events will be held in the West Exhibition Hall at McCormick Place, 2301 South Indiana Ave.
Thursday, February 29
- Alpha Kappa Alpha Community Service Opening Ceremony & Ribbon Cutting
10 a.m.
- Alpha Kappa Alpha & Chicago Urban League Career & Community Fair
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Job seekers are invited and encouraged to connect their skills and talents with some of Chicago’s top employers. Advocate Health Care, BlueCross and BlueShield Illinois, Chicago Police Department, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Rush University Medical Center, Pace, Sysco, University of Chicago and Versiti™ are among the participating companies. There is also an opportunity for onsite interviews. Pre-registration is encouraged, but not required. Visit https://bit.ly/akaculcareerfair to pre-register. This is a free event.
- For the Kulture Blood Drive
1 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Alpha Kappa Alpha is partnering with Versiti™ Blood Center of Illinois for this community blood drive. It will be held in the McCormick Place West Building, 4th floor, room 470AB.
- Food Collection for Childhood Hunger Initiative Power Packs
9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Alpha Kappa Alpha will be accepting community donations of non-perishable food items for its CHIPP (Childhood Hunger Initiative Power Packs) program food packing event which will be held on Friday, March 1, 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. The CHIPP initiative is Alpha Kappa Alpha’s national program to combat childhood hunger by providing nutritious food to local children in need.
Friday, March 1
- Alpha Kappa Alpha Central Regional Conference Public Meeting, “Answering the Call to Action,”
6 p.m.
Alpha Kappa Alpha will celebrate the opening of the 2024 Central Regional Conference with its “Answering the Call to Action” Public Meeting. The Rev Dr. Frederick Douglass Haynes III, President and CEO of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition is the featured speaker. Haynes, who has devoted his life’s work to fighting against the injustices impacting underserved communities, is the senior pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas. The event will recognize and honor several Chicago area leaders, community organizations, local residents, and youth for their work which aligns with the sorority’s national programs.
- Step Show & Divine 9 Afterparty
8 p.m.
This event will showcase the culture and tradition of stepping from African American sororities and fraternities. Comedian, on-air personality and co-host of radio’s Get Up Mornings with Erica Campbell, “Griff”, will be a celebrity judge at the step show.
- CHIPP Food Packing Event, March 1, 12 p.m.-3 p.m.
The CHIPP program is a national initiative of Alpha Kappa Alpha to help eradicate childhood hunger. Conference attendees will fill specially marked backpacks with non-perishable food items that were donated by the Chicagoland community. The backpacks will then be donated to local school children in underserved communities.
