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Avison Young Principal and Managing Director for the Chicago office, Danny Nikitas, recently rocked it out at the Hard Rock Chicago, helping to raise more than $100,000 to help Chicago Public School students.
Proceeds from the battle of the bands event went to Little Kids Rock, a national organization that provides funding, training, instruments and other support to public schools to promote the love of music and build lasting music program that teach students to perform.
Nikitas is a veteran of the real estate community’s philanthropic music scene, playing with his band the Square Feets.
“Music is much more than just a hobby, it is a learning tool and a creative outlet,” he said. “I think that every child should have access to music education, not only for his or her benefit, but because it adds value to our communities,”
The Little Kids Rock Chicago Public School band also took to the stage, bringing down the house with an original mash-up of Europe’s “The Final Countdown” and The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army”.
Since beginning operations in Chicago in 2008, Little Kids Rock has invested more than $1 million in the Chicago Public Schools, training more than 130 teachers and donating more than 4,500 instruments.
The work in Chicago has impacted approximately 115 schools and more than 27,000 students. On the national stage, Little Kids Rock has been operating since 2002, during which time the organization has supported 1,750 schools across the country, donating more than 50,000 instruments and helping more than 400,000 students unlock their music potential.
