Chicago Covid-19 Coalition Distributes More than $1.3 Million in Humanitarian Relief

Calamos CEO John Koudounis, who is leading a coalition of Chicago’s business leaders in a humanitarian campaign for COVID-19 relief and recovery, said on Monday that the Chicago model can be applied to other cities in the US.

Speaking at the Concordia Summit with Akiko Fujita of Yahoo Finance, Koudounis said that the Chicago CEO COVID-19 Coalition has distributed more than $1.3 million to date.

“I’m optimistic that the Chicago coalition is a platform we can use to bring together the business community to support other cities across our great nation,” he added.

The Chicago CEO Covid-19 Coalition is bringing together leaders of Chicago companies to benefit local Chicago charities providing the relief that Chicago needs now, and for vital and long-term recovery, along the following four themes: food, homelessness, personal protective equipment (PPE) and community and mental health.

In June 2020, the Coalition begun distributing more than $1.25 million in proceeds from its successful Sweet Home Chicago Telethon. The telethon can be viewed on the Chicago CEO COVID-19 Coalition website and on Facebook and YouTube. For more information or to donate, log on to http://www.chiccc.org or donate through the Coalition partnership with GoFundMe here.

“It has been extremely gratifying to see the extent to which Chicago’s leading companies have embraced the Coalition’s efforts, including the Chicago Bulls, who have been instrumental in their assistance and support of the campaign.

“We are also proud that 99% of Calamos Investments employees made donations to the campaign. John Calamos, Sr. and I have matched our employees’ donations as well as the individual donations received during the telethon broadcasts,” Koudounis said.

The Coalition has received broad support from Chicago’s business community. Joining with Calamos Investments as Founding Circle Members, the highest sponsorship level, are Wintrust Bank, Cinespace Chicago Film Studios and Hightower Advisors. Additional sponsors and benefactors include GCM Grosvenor, Northern Trust, Madison Dearborn Partners, Mesirow Financial, Astor Investment Management, PNC, UBS, CIBC, Guggenheim Partners, Republic Bank of Chicago, Leopardo, Sterling Bay,and Hub International, among others.

Chicago charities receiving the donations raised are the Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund; Greater Chicago Food Depository; the Salvation Army Metropolitan Division; The Night Ministry; Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of Chicago; Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago; Jewish United Fund; Metropolitan Family Services; the 100 Club of Chicago; and Howard Brown Health.