CAL RIPKEN, SR. FOUNDATION AND EXELON FOUNDATION HOST RIBBON-CUTTING CELEBRATION AT SUNRISE DAY CAMP-CHICAGO STEM CENTER

CAL RIPKEN, SR. FOUNDATION AND EXELON FOUNDATION HOST RIBBON-CUTTING CELEBRATION AT SUNRISE DAY CAMP-CHICAGO STEM CENTER

CHICAGO, Ill. – Inspiring young minds through science — and a little baseball magic — the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, Exelon, the Exelon Foundation, and ComEd, hosted a special celebration for children undergoing cancer treatment. The day began at Sunrise Day Camp–Chicago’s new STEM center followed by a trip to Wrigley Field to see the hometown Cubs host the Baltimore Orioles.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony featured guest speakers including Cal Ripken, Jr., MLB Hall of Famer and co-founder of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, Calvin Butler, President and CEO of Exelon who serves as the Board Chairman of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, and other officials.

“Our campers are incredibly special to us, and their strength, resilience, and willingness to learn and explore shines when they tinker with tools in our STEM center,” said Karen Abrams, Director of the Sunrise Day Camp Chicago, a program of JCC Chicago. “We try to make every day the best day for our campers, and with the generous support of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation and the Exelon Foundation, we’re able to not only stimulate their minds with STEM education but also treat them to a memorable baseball experience.”

Time in the STEM center included a ribbon-cutting ceremony and campers demonstrating their gadgets and tools.

“We started the foundation in dad’s name over two decades ago and I am so proud of and blown away by the work that our team has done to positively impact kids across the country,” said Cal Ripken, Jr. “Today is extra special working with our partners at Exelon to spend some time at our STEM Center and taking in a ballgame with the kids from the Sunrise Day Camp.”

To date, CRSF and the Exelon Foundation have established 43 STEM centers across Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C., as part of a three-year partnership to open a total of 81 STEM centers. In Greater Chicago alone, CRSF has funded eight STEM centers, contributing to a total of 15 across Illinois. And they have also added two Youth Development Parks, providing access to turf outdoor spaces for kids and the community at Marquette Park and Read-Dunning Park.

"STEM education is a business imperative for Exelon. Through partnerships like the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, we're helping students gain the foundational skills that will power our industry's future, and hopefully, lead them to join Exelon one day," said Calvin Butler.

The second portion of the day took place at Wrigley Field where several Sunrise Day campers and their families got to experience a Cubs vs. Orioles afternoon game. Calvin and Cal also joined them during the game, adding to the fun and excitement of the day.

The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation (CRSF) helps to strengthen America’s most underserved and distressed communities by supporting and advocating for children, building Youth Development Parks and STEM Centers, partnering with law enforcement and youth-service agencies, and addressing community needs through its national program initiatives that impacts over 1.4 million kids each year. CRSF has opened over 740 STEM Centers in 25 states nationwide, gifting children in communities across the country a new access to state-of-the-art technology, hands-on learning experiences, and skill sets essential to future careers in STEM fields.

The Exelon Foundation is an independent, nonprofit philanthropic organization funded solely by Exelon Corporation through shareholder dollars. The mission of the Foundation is to encourage respect for the environment, support innovative STEM education programs and strengthen the social and economic fabric of the communities Exelon serves.

Exelon (Nasdaq: EXC) is a Fortune 200 company and one of the nation’s largest utility companies, serving more than 10.7 million customers through six fully regulated transmission and distribution utilities — Atlantic City Electric, BGE, ComEd, Delmarva Power, PECO, and Pepco. Exelon’s 20,000 employees dedicate their time and expertise to supporting our communities through reliable, affordable and efficient energy delivery, workforce development, equity, economic development and volunteerism. Follow @Exelon on X and LinkedIn.

ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ: EXC), a Fortune 200 company and one of the nation’s largest utility companies, serving more than 10.7 million electricity and natural gas customers. ComEd powers the lives of more than 4 million customers across northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state’s population. For more information, visit ComEd.com, and connect with the company on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and YouTube. 

Sunrise Day Camp-Chicago is, a program of Jewish Community Centers of Chicago (JCC Chicago). Chicago is a proud member of the Sunrise Association, whose mission is to bring back the joys of childhood to children with cancer and their siblings worldwide. Sunrise accomplishes this through the creation and oversight of welcoming, inclusive summer day camps, year-round programs and in-hospital recreational activities, all offered free of charge.

JCC Chicago works to ensure a vibrant, thriving and connected community through meaningful and impactful programs inspired by Jewish and human values. The largest Jewish community center in North America, JCC Chicago serves tens of thousands of children, teens, adults, seniors and families through an array of award-winning, life-enriching programs, services and experiences. To learn more, visit, www.jccchicago.org.


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