Photo Credit: Madi Ellis Photography
The Daisie Foundation (DF) exists to empower women and children in underserved communities. Since its founding in 2016, DF has dedicated its time to providing opportunities to Chicago, Milwaukee, and Houston neighborhoods in need of support, guidance, and, ultimately, love. The work is rooted in random acts of kindness. This holiday season, DF teamed up with Meijer, ComEd, and a host of other sponsors to carry out their 7th annual Holiday Magic event at Howe School of Excellence in Chicago’s Austin Neighborhood (720 N Lorel Ave, Chicago, IL 60644) on December 13th, 2023.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Illinois Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton, and CEO of Chicago Public Schools Pedro Martinez spoke and gave out gifts to the first round of students, bringing them extra holiday joy. The event consisted of surprising 500 well-deserving West Side students with Santa and Mrs. Claus’s visit, gift-giving with elves’ help, and a holiday-themed dance party! Panera Bread provided lunch for the students and over 100 teachers. By the end of the campaign, DF surprised 2,200 students and 420 teachers and staffers throughout Chicago, Milwaukee, and Houston. “The spirit of the holidays is a magical part of childhood for many Chicago kids, but for too many, it’s also a time of anxiety as their families struggle to make ends meet,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “The Daisie Foundation is bringing that joy back to these children, and I was honored to participate in their Holiday Magic Event and bring cheer and celebration to Howe School with the support of so many valued partners.”The hosts for this momentous event were Anthony “Spice” Adams, a former Chicago Bears player and TV host with Cortney Hall, Emmy-nominated host of NBC Chicago’s lifestyle show “Chicago Today.” In addition, actors Corey Hendrix from The Bear on FX and Cortez Smith from The Chi on Showtime were also onsite to help pass out presents to the students and staff.
Sponsors for this year’s event include Meijer, ComEd, Panera Bread, Exelon, Old National Bank, Molina Healthcare, Shiraleah, Benefit Cosmetics, Penske, ROW 24, Women’s Bar Association of Illinois, Raising Canes, Pendry Hotel, Pink Pewter, Daisie Project, J. Crew, and Wantable.
About The Daisie Foundation
Making their mark in Chicago since 2016, DF is a nationally recognized organization whose mission lies in empowering women and children in overlooked communities by providing ongoing opportunities to succeed and access to resources. Their work is rooted in random acts of kindness that, over the years, have impacted 3,700 mothers and 8,900 students and counting. In December of 2020, DF expanded their efforts to women and children in Houston, TX, which shares many of the same economic and social challenges in its communities.
About Meijer
Meijer is a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer that operates more than 500 supercenters, Meijer Grocery, neighborhood markets, and Express locations throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin. A privately-owned and family-operated company since 1934, Meijer pioneered the “one-stop shopping” concept and has evolved through the years to include expanded fresh produce and meat departments, as well as pharmacies, comprehensive apparel departments, pet departments, garden centers, toys, and electronics. For additional information on Meijer, please visit www.meijer.com. Follow Meijer on Twitter @twitter.com/Meijer and @twitter.com/MeijerPR or become a fan at www.facebook.com/meijer.
About ComEd
ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ: EXC), a Fortune 250 energy company with approximately 10 million electricity and natural gas customers—the largest number of customers in the U.S. ComEd powers the lives of more than 4 million customers across northern Illinois or 70 percent of the state’s population. For more information, visit ComEd.com, and connect with the company on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
