Skender Foundation held its annual fundraiser, Summer Eclipse, July 21 at Fremont Chicago. The summer gala brought in more than 500 industry pros and raised a total of $483,000 for this year’s charity partner and primary benefactor Bunker Labs, a national non-profit organization built by military veteran entrepreneurs to empower other military veterans as leaders in innovation.
A donation of $30,000 of the money raised by sponsors and attendees will go to Bunker Labs, while the rest will be dispersed to various other charities dedicated to education and wellness throughout the course of the year. In the past, Summer Eclipse donations have gone to more than 100 different charity organizations.
Through local chapters organized in eight different cities, Bunker Labs provides educational programming, mentors, events and thriving local networks to help military veterans start and grow businesses. Funds raised at Summer Eclipse will enable Bunker Labs to continue to provide entrepreneurship support to their growing community of military veterans by improving their curriculum and adding new classes, expanding mentorship opportunities, and connecting businesses with new resources.
Skender Foundation’s next event, Harvesting Hope, will take place on October 20 at House of Blues Chicago. Hosted by the Builders’ Board, a committee of Skender Foundation, Harvesting Hope will benefit Embarc, a three-year program that provides community-driven, experienced-based learning opportunities to low-income high school students to inspire and prepare them for college and career success.
