Raising Cane’s donated $100,000 to SocialWorks, a nonprofit the rapper launched with friends in 2016 to empower local youth.

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AUSTIN — Dozens of Michele Clark High School seniors gathered near their new state-of-the-art football field Thursday for a special surprise: hot lunch from Raising Cane’s served by Chance the Rapper.  

The South Side rapper teamed up with Raising Cane’s to serve two-piece chicken finger combos from a food truck. Inside the principal’s office, Chance shared another treat over the intercom. 

“There is no homework tonight,” Chance said. “This has already been signed off by Principal Anderson and now by Principal Chance the Rapper.”

Raising Cane’s donated $100,000 to SocialWorks Thursday to aid the nonprofit’s mission to empower young people through the performing and literary arts, education and civic engagement. Chance founded SocialWorks in 2016 with friends Justin Cunningham and Essence Smith.

Chance stopped by the chicken chain’s Wrigleyville shop, 3700 N. Clark St., to accept the donation and serve meals to customers before visiting the West Side school. 

Michele Clark High School, 5101 W. Harrison St., is one of 51 local schools the rapper supports through his nonprofit.

“This $100,000 donation to SocialWorks will help Chance continue empowering Chicago youth and providing them with opportunities to thrive,” said Todd Graves, CEO of Raising Cane’s. “Chance and his team have made such a positive impact in the community, and I’m looking forward to seeing all the lives he continues to change through SocialWorks.”

Initiatives at SocialWorks like the New Chance: Arts & Literature Fund and the Kids of the Kingdom summer camp “have been a great connector and community builder,” Chance said in a brief interview. 

SocialWorks partnered with Michele Clark in 2019 to launch My State of Mind, a program that prioritizes mental health wellness. The goal is to continue expanding on those existing programs, Chance said. Donations, both small and large, help make that possible. 

“I think the fact that Raising Cane’s was able to see SocialWorks and say, ‘We want to collaborate and bring a platform to what you guys are doing,’ is dope,” Chance said. “It’s also them doing their part.” 

Students at Michele Clark have been participating in Good Looking Out, a workshop that promotes mental health wellness and teaches students how to help each other, Principal Charles Anderson said. September is Suicide Awareness Month.

Chance’s food truck visit was “amazing” and will hopefully convey to students that there are people who care about them, Anderson said. 

“I’m hoping they’ll see that they’re not alone,” Anderson said. “A lot of times, when people are experiencing suicidal thoughts or having a mental health crisis, they feel isolated like no one cares,” Anderson said. “I’m hoping the message gets across that people care and we’re here with you.”

The $100,000 donation from Raising Cane’s comes days after the release of the Grammy Award-winning rapper’s newest single, “3333.” The song, which he said was “recorded and dropped maybe a day later,” intimately reveals how the rapper sold 3,333 tickets at the Minnesota State Fair — a venue that can hold 14,000 people.

Seeing people lined up early in the morning to greet him outside the Wrigleyville restaurant was “a reminder of people supporting me,” Chance said.

“I feel like when you do take those chances to live in your purpose and be brave, good things come,” Chance said. “The fact that this [donation] is coming right after is a huge blessing to SocialWorks. I think it’s a reminder of the community that we’ve been building and what we’re building around. It’s a testament to me, but also to Raising Cane’s as a patron and supporter of SocialWorks, and a huge signal that SocialWorks is doing great things.”

Earlier this year, Chance hosted a spring concert at the Ramova Theatre in Bridgeport to raise funds for his nonprofit. 

Chance, Jennifer Hudson and Quincy Jones were among the investors and co-owners who gave the former movie house a $30 million makeover and transformed it into an 1,800-capacity concert hall and events space.

One of the South Side rapper’s dreams is to bring events other than concerts to the venue hall, he said. 

“In terms of sound, house lighting [and] the overall feel and aesthetic of the theater, to me, it’s the best room to play for that size for 1,800 people,” Chance said. “I think it could be configured in a lot of different ways, from traditional concerts, all the way over to comedy or theatrical shows.” 

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