On Friday, December 4th, a team of Kirkland & Ellis volunteers spent the afternoon coaching 90 second to fourth grade students from Urban Initiatives’ Work to Play program. The volunteers led small teams of students from Jordan Elementary (Rogers Park), Faraday Elementary (East Garfield Park), and Bateman Elementary (Irving Park) through friendly soccer games against each other.
After eleven weeks of working together at practices and during games against other schools, the Urban Initiatives players were more than ready to show off their best soccer skills and teamwork. Their shots were on target all afternoon; they worked together to defend their goals; and they pulled out their best moves with rollbacks and Messi’s in abundance. The Kirkland & Ellis coaches offered advice about technique and sportsmanship from the sidelines and helped keep their teams feeling energized and excited all afternoon.
“This is Kirkland & Ellis’s third year of volunteering with us,” said Urban Initiatives’ Co-Founder and Executive Director Jim Dower, “and our partnership continues to grow and strengthen each year. Their team’s commitment to giving back to the community and ability to connect with our players is incredible, and Kirkland’s willingness to support our work year after year is a testament to the time an energy the firm is putting into making Chicago a healthier, safer, and more inclusive city for everyone.”
