Citi Cubs Kids returns for third season to motivate and educate Chicago children

Last week, Citi launched its 2012 Citi Cubs Kids season with a program featuring the new President of Baseball Operations for the Chicago Cubs, Theo Epstein, at iconic Wrigley Field. Epstein was on hand to inspire and motivate 100 students from a Chicago elementary school.

Now in its third season, Citi Cubs Kids is an educational and motivational community-based initiative for Chicago students, developed by Citi in collaboration with the Jackie Robinson Foundation and the Chicago Cubs. The series of events in 2012 will seek to inspire kids with the nine values and ideals of Jackie Robinson, the great American trailblazer who broke baseball's color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.

Citi has been an active member of the Chicago community since 1916. "Chicago is one of Citi's most important markets, with 73 branches and nearly 2,000 employees, and we are committed to playing an active role in the community," said Doug Gourley, Managing Director of Citi Private Bank. "We are excited to host the third season of Citi Cubs Kids by providing a unique and educational experience for deserving Chicago youth. For the last two years, we've had the opportunity to provide students with an opportunity to learn and be motivated by influential role models, including Cubs legends and executives and Jackie Robinson scholars. We will continue reaching out in 2012 to our leaders of tomorrow with this valuable program."

Wally Hayward, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for the Chicago Cubs, said, "Citi Cubs Kids reinforces positive values in Chicago's youth by offering personal interaction with individuals who overcame challenges on their paths to success." "Our Jackie Robinson Foundation college scholars are encouraged to embrace Jackie Robinson's tenet that 'A life is not important except in its impact on other lives,'" added Della Britton, President and CEO of the Foundation. "They are young, dynamic leaders who already have incorporated community service into their lives in profound ways. As such, we are proud to have an active role in Citi Cubs Kids, which empowers and educates Chicago youth through peer mentorship."

In addition to Epstein, guest speakers today included Gourley and Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholar Troy White.