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Derrick Rose donates $1M to after-school program in Chicago

Bobby Yip / Reuters

Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose is giving back to the city that's supported his basketball career from a young age.

On Tuesday, Rose and the Bulls announced that the Chicago-born point guard is donating $1 million to After School Matters, a non-profit that aims to provide "innovative" after-school programs for teenagers, specifically minority teenagers and those living at or below the poverty line.

Rose explained the donation as a pay-it-forward sort of investment in a statement on NBA.com:

To have a strong community of people who believe in your potential can make all the difference in the world. So many people have invested in me and I want to do the same for Chicago’s teens.

The release also explains what the donation will be used toward:

The funds will be used to drive the growth of unique programming experiences for teenagers throughout the city in the arts, communications, science, sports and technology. Participants develop critical life skills to help them prepare for work, college and beyond.

It's a sizable donation (about five game's worth of salary) and a prime example of an athlete really putting his money where his mouth is in terms of giving back to a city. Good on you, Derrick Rose.

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