Save the Date: Friday April 11, 2025
We're Back at the Geraghty!
Each year BUILD helps more than 3,200 West Side Chicago youth and families build hope, lives, and futures—disrupting the pipepline of gun violence in our city. With services like gang intervention and mental health care, out-of-school camps and college counseling, studio art and sports—we help youth develop the skills and support network they need to overcome barriers, survive, and thrive. Join us to celebrate these incredible young people, and the power of investing in peace!
Check out highlights from our 2024 Gala
2024 Gala Moments
On May 3, 2024, hundreds of friends and supporters gathered at The Geraghty to celebrate the power and resilience of BUILD youth. We honored John Nitschke for his decades of service with the Lifetime BUILDer Award, and youth speakers Mario and Hillary shared their own powerful stories of persistence. BUILD’s Director of Intervention, Angella Roberts-Smith, recounted her life growing up on Chicago’s West Side and how it prepared her for advocacy work with Chicago’s youth.
We celebrated these lives and raised $840,000 unrestricted funds for BUILD’s greatest needs. Thank you to the whole community!
Hear BUILD Youth Voices tell their stories
Youth Speaker: Damario, age 18
"I hope my journey can be a testament to the power of resilience and determination. It's a reminder that with hard work and perseverance, anything is possible. Today I stand before you not just as a BUILDer, but as an example that you can have the future you want."
Youth Speaker: Hillary, age 17
"Not all youth get a second family as good as BUILD! I want to thank my parents, my friends, and BUILD for helping me reconnect with the confident entrepreneur I always was - and will continue to be in the future."
Staff Address: Angella Roberts-Smith
Angella Roberts-Smith is the first-ever woman, and Black woman, to serve as BUILD's Director of Intervention. Having started at BUILD in 2010 as a street Intervention Specialist, she quickly noticed pieces of her own story in many of the youth BUILD serves.
“I could relate to these teens, and it was because I was these teens.”
Like many of the youth she advocates for, Angella grew up on the West Side in a heavily gang-involved family. While other kids spent their weekends at the park or with their peers, Angella was visiting prisons to see her father, grandfather, uncles and eventually her brothers.
Listen to her full story of resilience and perseverance here.
2024 Honorees
BUILD is about the power of community, and each year we honor those who went above and beyond:
Lifetime BUILDer:
John A. Nitschke
Philanthropy BUILDer:
Austin Fresh
Corporate Community BUILDer:
Chicago Bears
THANK YOU TO OUR 2024 SPONSORS!
City BUILDer: Event Sponsor
Anonymous
Chicago Bears & Bears Care
Dr. Scholl Foundation
Neighborhood BUILDers
BMO
The Sheba Foundation / Lavin Family
One Chicago Fund
School BUILDers
Aon
Breakthru Beverage
Kribi Coffee
McShane Construction
One Chicago Fund
Wintrust
Bill & Meg Hayes
Bruce & Laurie Kaden
John Nitschke & Jean McLaren
Bud & Diane Schwarzbach
Avy & Marcie Stein
John & Sue Wilson
Block BUILDers
Ariel Investments
Baird
Comcast NBCUniversal
William Bauer & Patricia Spratt
Youth BUILDers
Austin Fresh
Benford Protections Services
BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois
Chase
Deloitte.
Healthy Communities Foundation
Lathrop, GPM
Micro-Tech USA
Nuveen
PREMIER Design + Build Group
Plante Moran
UJAMAA
Anonymous
Steve Abbey & Pamela Brick
Adam & Lorena Alonso
Joanna & Daniel Arras
Luke & Regina Bakalar
Aaron & Shannel Clubb
Matt Fisher
Michael Kerrigan & Leila Whitley Kerrigan
Rodrigo & Pamela Levy
Raymond Rushing
Siobhan Sanders
Brooke & David Sloane
Jack Segal & Michael Halberstam
Jeanne Wrenn
