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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.
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.
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, Tha 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.
Listen to Charlie's solo music music here.
We strive to promote connection between the youth of Chicago and their communities through music.
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.
Organizations we have offered grants to in the past include West Point
School of Music and Guitars Over Guns (please visit their pages for more information about the amazing work they do).
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!
Please consider donating to the Charlie Sullivan Foundation to share love and spread the message of unity through music. Your generosity helps us provide vital grants to young musicians, supporting their creative and socially conscious projects. Every contribution enables us to continue promoting social justice and inclusivity within our community. Together, we can make a difference and carry forward the legacy of Charlie Sullivan.
