William Blair employees joined more than 2,000 participants in the annual fundraiser Chicago Proud to Run race on June 29 to help LGBTQ+ community groups.
Colleagues ran and walked in the 5K, 10K, and half marathon races as well as hosted a welcome tent in sunny weather along the city's lakefront to support GenderCool and other LGBTQ+ groups.
GenderCool is a national storytelling campaign of transgender youth. They along with three other organizations—About Face Theatre, Housing Opportunities & Maintenance for the Elderly (H.O.M.E.), LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Illinois—were the beneficiaries of Proud to Run. The event raised more than $60,000 for the groups.
"It was amazing to see the support for Proud to Run and deepen our involvement with the group," said Paige LaCour, co-founder of William Blair's Pride Alliance. "We were especially thrilled since GenderCool was one of the beneficiaries and we have formed such a strong partnership with them this year."
This was the second year William Blair participated in Proud to Run and marks the second anniversary of the William Blair's Pride Alliance, a network of LGBTQ+ employees and supporters. The alliance was launched in June of 2017 to create an inclusive workplace and encourage corporate policies to enrich the firm's culture.