Events like this are made possible by the support of many volunteers and corporate sponsors. Coeur Mining, headquartered in Chicago, was the corporate sponsor for the second year in a row, and provided swag bags and officiating during the competition. Coeur employees also brightened the day by cheering the contestants.
Jennifer McHan, the Coeur Corporate Charity Committee Lead, states, “Coeur believes in giving back to the communities where we’re located, which is why we love partnering with the By The Hand Club on their Reading Playoff program. This program is a great way to invest in the youth of Chicago and see first-hand the impact we can have on the people around us.”
For the students, it was a day they will remember for a long time. “The competition was awesome and we had a great time learning about South Africa, Mexico, India and China. I also had a great time with my team and my team leaders. I would like to visit those places someday,” said Jeremiah, a fourth-grader on the winning Englewood team.
By The Hand is a Christ-centered, after-school program that takes kids by the hand and walks with them through college, helping them have abundant life—mind, body and soul. By The Hand serves nearly 1,400 students in Cabrini-Green, Austin, Englewood and Altgeld-Murray.