Young people from the South and West have the opportunity this weekend to explore all that the city center has to offer with a little money in their pockets.
My Block, My Hood, My City, a nonprofit community organization focused on providing diverse opportunities for the city’s youth, will bring about 1,000 young people ages 13 to 22 to downtown Saturday and give them 50 U.S. spend dollars on activities and food.
Jahmal Cole, the founder and CEO of My Block, My Hood, My City, said that while many of the participating kids live a few miles from downtown, many have never visited the museums, walked the lakefront walk, or taken an architecture tour have.
“We’re inviting 1,000 kids downtown because we realized how many people weren’t downtown or were downtown but didn’t have money to spend,” Cole said. “And they get $50 to do whatever they want.”
My Block, My Hood, My City has partnered with several companies and attractions that offer attendees discounted or free options. These partners include the Art Institute, Shedd Aquarium, Skydeck Chicago, Navy Pier, City Hall, Wendella Tours and Millennium Park.
“It’s a chance for kids who, given the high cost, have never had the opportunity to explore downtown. We don’t want them to feel left out and this is an opportunity to do what they want to do,” said Cole. “We show kids what can be done with enough money in their pockets to enjoy downtown their city.”
The day, which lasts from 10:30 am to 5:30 pm, offers children the opportunity to choose their own adventure. They start and end their day at the Harris Theater with a map on their phone showing all the participating businesses to visit. Escorts from community organizations across the city will accompany the participants.
The organization raised $50,000 to cover the children’s pocket money. They are also partnering with the Magnificent Mile Association, the Chicago Loop Alliance and the 1st Circuit of the Chicago Police Department for the event.
“This Downtown Day initiative demonstrates that the Loop is truly everyone’s neighborhood, filled with iconic architecture, art, culture, shopping and history that make our world-class city unique,” said Michael Edwards, president and CEO of the Chicago Loop Alliance in a statement .
The aim is to allow children to safely enjoy the Loop area, particularly following recent incidents involving large gatherings of young people, some of whom have been involved in criminal activity, including a scuffle in the Loop in April.
“We like to blame our youth when things go wrong in our community, but they are made the scapegoats. They come from communities that are uninvested, unsafe and where grocery stores are migrating,” said Cole.
“They act to get our attention. How can we leave these neighborhoods in such a state? No wonder they behave.”
In the future, Cole hopes to continue to increase funding for the annual downtown event to allow more children to attend and get more businesses involved.