Firebelly Foundation

At the 3rd annual Camp Firebelly, 10 passionate and energetic young designers teamed up with Mike Fretto and Rosa Loves to raise money for three Reason to Give families. Campers were given the opportunity to meet with each of the families, hear their stories, and ask questions to better understand the Humboldt Park community.

Inspired by their encounters, each camper designed and screen printed a t-shirt that represented one of our families. Check back as these limited edition shirts will be on sale soon through the Firebelly Design store

On the last night of camp, Firebelly hosted a gallery show and fundraiser for Reason to Give. Campers were forced to test their networking and fundraising skills on Chicago-area designers and past campers. The night was a success, and thanks to all the hard work of Firebelly Campers and Mike Fretto, not to mention the generosity of our guests, t-shirt sales pulled in over $450 for Reason to Give families.

Camp Firebelly was once again an enlightening experience for all those involved, and we appreciate all the sleepless nights that benefited Reason to Give. Camper Ben Wagner summed it up best. “Overall, Camp Firebelly was a fantastic experience. I don’t think I’ve ever accomplished so much in 10 days…It has been inspiring to design for a good cause, and to see how we can use our unique talents to make a difference.”

Reason to Give’s intern Kevin hosted his 23rd Birthday Party at the Chicago Bulls game on Saturday, February 26th, 2010 as a fundraiser for Reason to Give participant Steven to go on an educational trip to Europe with his high school. Thanks to Kevin and 24 of his closest friends, operation “Reason to watch the Bulls” was a success. Rosabel and her son Steven were delighted to hear about the success of the event and send their appreciation to everyone that participated.  Read more about Rosabel and Steven’s cause.

Thank you to the Chicago Wolves for their generous donation of 15 tickets to Reason to Give. The tickets were raffled off at our annual holiday party. Three families received four tickets each: the DeJesus family, the Brown family, and the Martinez family. The game was great, a triple overtime win for the Wolves! Thanks again to the Chicago Wolves for brightening the holiday season for these three families.

On December 12, 2009, Reason to Give held a holiday party for families that are currently in program as well as families that were involved with the program within years past. EP Theater generously donated their facility for the event. Photographers Kyle LaMere and Brendan Shanley volunteered their services to take family portraits. Everyone received free coats complements of Cafe Barista. Special thanks to Mary Morelli for her generous contribution to the free store. Volunteers included: Ana Rosales, Blake Valenta, Kevin Smith, Omar Vargas and Greg Medic. The event was coordinated by Shannon Medic. The event was filmed by Grant Grieshaber.

Watch the video to see all the fun!

The 1st Annual Reason to Golf Benefit was a huge success! On Saturday August 22, 2009 at the Western Acres Golf Coarse in Lombard, Reason to Give threw its first official benefit. With 56 golfers and over 85 in attendance at the 10th Hole Party, along with all of our wonderful sponsors, Reason to Give was able to raise over $8000.

The golfers ranged from PGA pros to first timers. The food was delicious, the music rocked, and everyone had a great time. Thanks to our generous sponsors and guests, we had some amazing prizes and very successful raffles and silent auction.

We plan to keep up the new Reason to Golf tradition in 2010 and hope to see everyone back again, along with new faces as well. If you attended the benefit or even if you missed out on the good times this year, be sure to check out the video here!

Amidst the chaos and cold of the holiday season, 50 of our closest friends, colleagues and neighborhood allies showed their support and joined us for the launch of Firebelly Foundation’s new nonprofit, Reason To Give.

Thrilled to be amongst the first to donate, our generous guests met the needs of several families that night. Items made possible where a new stove, a new bed and bedding, kitchen appliances and warm winter clothes. Watch one of the success stories.

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With authenticity and sustainability as our guiding principles, Firebelly Foundation’s first project, Reason to Give, makes social justice its number one priority; focusing on the immediate needs of Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood—our community and our neighbors.

Considering every concern for why people don’t give more (and more often), Reasonto to Give offers personal giving, first hand results and an alternative to traditional gift exchange, answering all the excuses for not getting involved with undeniable “reasons to give”.

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