Curtis Granderson
MLB All-Star Outfielder and Chicago native, Curtis Granderson, is considered one of the most philanthropic athletes in professional sports. The three-time MLB All Star is the Founder of the Grand Kids Foundation (est. 2007), Spokesperson for The White House’s Let’s Move anti-obesity campaign as well as the Partnership for a Healthier America’s Drink Up (H20) initiative, and serves as a Major League Baseball International Ambassador.
In 2012, Granderson made an initial donation of $5 Million to his alma mater – The University of Illinois at Chicago – for the development of Curtis Granderson Stadium at UIC. The University, Major League Baseball and its partners contributed additional funds for the $15 Million project and state-of-the art facility, which serves Chicago’s inner-city youth. In this unrivaled partnership, Curtis and UIC are committed to bringing America’s favorite past time to 20,000+ kids annually in the City of Chicago by providing experiences that will aid in their mental and physical development.
Granderson and the Grand Kids Foundation are committed to supporting the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Chicago’s food bank, a nonprofit food distribution and training center providing food for hungry people while striving to end hunger. In Cook County, 1 in 5 children are at risk of hunger and more than 37 percent of the people who receive food from the Greater Chicago Food Depository are children.