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Our Day Will Come!

The

Charlie Sullivan

Foundation


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Who We Are

The Charlie Sulivan Foundation promotes social justice, peace, and understanding through the support of musical ​expression. Our vision is to offer grants to diverse, socially aware, young Chicago-based musical artists to help ​defray the costs of performance, recording, and education. We strive for a more inclusive society through music and ​art, leading by the example of our late friend, brother, and son, Charlie Sullivan, aka Chucky Ar La. (LEARN MORE)

What Does “Chucky Ar La” Mean?

Chucky Ar La is a rough phonetic translation of “Tiocfaidh ar la”, meaning

“Our day will come” in the Irish language.

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Charlie Sullivan chose Chucky Ar La as his stage name as a solo musical artist for ​three reasons. First, some of his friends were already calling him Chuck. Second, he ​liked the idea of acknowledging his own roots as an Irish American. And third, he fully ​believed in the cause of social equity and justice. He thought “Our day will come” was ​a powerful, positive message to affect meaningful change in the world.

Who Was Charlie?

Charlie Sullivan was a Chicago-based musician and social activist. He performed on ​stage and recorded original music with his bands, The Boxers and Thy Neighbors, and ​on his own as Chucky Ar La. Charlie performed at Chicago venues such as Metro, The ​House Of Blues, Subterranean, Martyr’s, Heartland Café, and many others.


Charlie was also an active voice for social justice, teaching young people how to ​peacefully demonstrate, working with No Cop Academy, Black Lives Matter, and ​other groups promoting equality and justice. Among other actions, Charlie helped ​develop community gardens in underserved Chicago neighborhoods and traveled to ​national conferences discussing social and political activism. He was also a leader at ​the Neighborhood Boys and Girls Club and a youth league baseball umpire. Charlie led ​teams of teenagers in cleaning Chicago forest preserves. He cleared invasive species ​from areas around the Grand Canyon through AmeriCorps. Charlie was working ​toward his bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies at the University of Illinois Chicago.


Charlie died suddenly, just a few days short of his 24th birthday, on Feb 1, 2020. He ​died accidentally, the victim of fentanyl poisoning. Charlie was a casual, occasional ​drug user. We encourage anyone reading this to take heed. Dealers lace drugs with ​fentanyl, usually without the user having any idea. And fentanyl will kill you.


We choose to celebrate how Charlie lived and not dwell on how he died. He led a ​short, remarkable life. We hope to honor him and continue Charlie’s good work. He ​never thought of himself and was always there when a friend needed him.


Charlie is survived by his mother and father, three younger siblings, a large extended ​family and his large, diverse network of friends. Charlie had a lot of friends.

EVENTS

Our Foundation organizes charitable events to promote our mission and support ​Chicago's musical talents. Continue checking this page for upcoming events, or ​follow us on Instagram or Facebook to stay in the loop.

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Our main event each year is our Chucky Ar La Fest. This ​annual concert features up-and-coming artists and ​bands from all over Chicago.

Our first two fests were held at Martyrs in Chicago in ​2022 & 2023. Both events were sold out.


Our next fest is August 10th, 2024. (Purchase tickets ​here). The love in that room is always amazing to ​experience. Thank you to all who have attended and will ​attend.

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Impact

The Charlie Sullivan Foundation empowers young musicians in Chicago by ​providing grants that support their creative and socially conscious projects. ​By fostering inclusivity and social justice through music, the foundation helps ​artists perform, record, and educate, continuing the legacy of Charlie ​Sullivan, a musician and social activist. Through these initiatives, the ​foundation promotes equity and community engagement, ensuring that ​Charlie’s spirit and commitment to social causes endure.


We strive to promote connection between the ​youth of Chicago and their communities through ​music.

Become A Sponsor

Join the Charlie Sullivan Foundation in making a lasting impact on the ​lives of young, socially conscious musicians in Chicago. Your support as ​a sponsor helps us provide essential grants and resources, fostering a ​community dedicated to social justice and inclusivity through music. ​Long-term partnerships enable us to plan our activities ahead, ensuring ​sustained and meaningful engagement with the artists we support. To ​become a sponsor, please get in touch with us at ​charliesullivanfoundation@gmail.com. Thank you!


Share love & donate

Please consider donating to the Charlie Sullivan Foundation to share love and sp​read the message of unity through music. Your generosity helps us provide vital grant​s to young musicians, supporting their creative and socially conscious projects. E​very contribution enables us to continue promoting social justice and inclusivity wi​thin our community. Together, we can make a difference and carry forward the legac​y of Charlie Sulli​v​an.


THANK YOU

for your support

Our Day Will Come!

Contact

charliesullivanfoundation@gmail.com

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