Outdoor activities that are giving back to Chicago
Spring is in the process of, well, springing here in Chicago, which serves as a great reminder of the opportunities that come along with that change of the seasons. With that in mind, Chicago Ideas has decided to highlight events and activities to get you out of the house while also benefitting a good cause. If you’re looking to just get out and enjoy Chicago’s natural beauty, RedEye recently compiled a list of Chicago parks and what occasions they are perfect for, so feel free to bookmark this great resource when you’re planning your next picnic or pick-up softball game.
Live to Support Chicago
Walk past a park in Chicago on any night of the week and, chances are, you’ll come across some sort of recreational sports league. Whether its softball, volleyball or even kickball, in spring and summer Chicagoans indulge in assorted sports follies. Live to Support is one provider of such activities but with a simple twist: The winner doesn’t just get the glory, they get to support a charity. When registering for a league you select from a list of Chicago-based charity organization and, before each game, the competing teams meet to discuss who they are playing for in a moment that’s come to be known as the “Two Minutes of Awareness.” At the end of the season, Live to Support will donate a certain amount—up to $1,000—to the champion team’s charity. Friendly competition has never felt so good.
Beer Under Glass
This event technically isn’t outdoors but it still conjures that feeling. Taking place inside the Garfield Park Conservatory, the eighth annual Beer Under Glass event brings some of Chicago’s finest craft breweries into the conservatory, along with assorted food trucks, all to help benefit one of the world’s foremost purveyors of exotic plant life. With over 200 craft beers available for sampling, and all the money benefitting the Garfield Park Conservatory, Beer Under Glass is a great way to support one of Chicago’s oldest resources while tasting some of the finest wares the city has to offer.
Bark in the Park
On May 21, the 23rd annual Bark in the Park event takes place on Soldier Field’s Stadium Green, offering a stroll along the lakefront for humans and dogs alike. The $40 registration fee sends proceeds to the Anti-Cruelty Society, with walkers having the option to raise additional funds for their furry friends and win assorted prizes. Top fundraisers can win tickets to a Chicago Cubs game, passes for an architecture tour, a whiskey tasting at FEW Spirits and much more. But even if you don’t win, you’ll still get to see a whole bunch of happy dogs, and that’s a reward in and of itself.
Bike the Drive
Entering its 16th year of bringing car-free cycling to Lake Shore Drive, this year’s edition of Bike the Drive takes place on Saturday, May 28. While the long-standing event is open to riders of all skill levels, this year Bike the Drive is offering a 30-mile challenge, which will allow cyclists to take on Lake Shore Drive’s full glory unimpeded. As per usual, all proceeds will go to the Active Transportation Alliance, a nonprofit advocacy organization working to make sure “America’s Best Bike City” lives up to its name.
