Amateur City Elite (ACE)

The White Sox created the Amateur City Elite (ACE) program in 2007 to reverse the declining interest and participation in baseball among African American youth, while offering resources and mentorship to pull kids away from the dangers of some of Chicago’s most violent neighborhoods. Now in its seventeenth year, ACE provides the financial means and educational tools for more than 150 youth annually and helps prepare each participant to succeed in life beyond the diamond.

The program boasts a 99 percent high school graduation rate and has helped more than 280 students earn scholarships to schools like Louisville, Michigan and Vanderbilt, as well as several Historically Black Colleges & Universities.

The ACE program was named recipient of the 2022 Allan H. Selig Award for Philanthropic Excellence.