United Center restrooms and the Benny the Bull blimp that flies around the arena during Chicago Bulls games will have corporate ties this season, part of the team's slate of 15 new or expanded sponsorship deals.

Headlining the new crop is Cincinnati, Ohio-based plumbing and drainage company Roto-Rooter, which becomes the first sponsor of the United Center's public restrooms. Under the deal, the company will have signage on restroom mirrors, above urinals and outside select restrooms.

Selling rights to restrooms is a sign of the Bulls' brand strength, though it's also a logical fit for Roto-Rooter, says sports sponsorship consultant Josh Kritzler, who helped pioneer bathroom ad signage in ballparks before launching his Chicago-based firm Property Consulting Group.

"Public restroom signage offers a captive audience," he said. "And it gives you the opportunity to be a little more risque or creative. For a brand like Roto-Rooter, that's a very top-of-mind place to deliver their message."

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Each Almost Home Kids 2014 Share the Care Ball Awardee shares a common trait in that they have supported the group's mission in an outstanding and exceptional manner, and Almost Home Kids is extremely grateful for everything they have done for their children and families.

AHK friend and supporter Janet Davies ( ABC7 ) will host the Share the Care Ball for the third year in a row, the Ken Arlen Orchestra will provide music to dance to, and the honor role musicians from the Waubonsie Tri-M Quartet will provide classical music during cocktails; all of this in the Gold Coast Room and French Room at The historic Drake Hotel in downtown Chicago.

Magellan Corporation is the title sponsor for the event. "Magellan is proud to be the Presenting Sponsor for the 2014 Share the Care Ball," said Bob Arthur, president of Magellan Corporation. "Being able to support Almost Home Kids and their mission in this way is an important part of our commitment to the community and the health and well-being of children with complex medical needs."

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Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers played to a crowd of hundreds of appreciative guests of the Old Town School of Music's 2014 Blue Jean Gala.

The Steep Canyon Rangers is an American bluegrass band based in North Carolina. While they formed in 2000, it was the addition in 2009 of well-known comedian but accomplished banjo player Steve Martin that catapulted them to wider recognition. In 2013, their solo album Nobody Knows You won the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album. The previous year, their 2012 collaboration with Steve Martin, Rare Bird Alert, was nominated for the same award.

As sponsor of the event, Magellan Corporation was able to treat guests to a meet-and-greet with Steve Martin and band. As always, the Blue Jean Gala began with a culinary crawl up Lincoln Avenue, and ended with a great musical performance. All proceeds from the always-anticipated annual event go toward the vast array of musical programming and educational opportunities provided by the Old Town School of Folk Music.

To commemorate Wrigley Field's 100th birthday and the many historical moments that have taken place at the park over the last century, Cubs Charities honored the Friendly Confines with a momentous philanthropic effort. Beginning May 30, Chicagoans and tourists found Michigan Avenue lined with 50 custom-made pairs of ballpark seats.

"This has been such a special year as we celebrate Wrigley Field and what the park has meant to Chicago over the past century," said Laura Ricketts, Board Chair of Cubs Charities. "Cubs fans are truly the greatest in baseball, so we can't wait to honor them by giving back to the community with this special Centennial Seats program."

Sponsored by Magellan Corporation, the Centennial Seats were installed the evening of May 29 for their morning debut Friday, May 30. "We like to get involved with charitable projects that give back to our community - and this is possibly the most colorful and exciting one yet," said Michael Minkus of Magellan Corporation.

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With an “Into the Wild” safari theme, Bear Necessities celebrated its 21st Annual Bear Tie Ball at on Saturday, March 8, 2014. Philanthropists, socialites, cancer survivors and more came out to support this non-profit organization to raise funds for pediatric cancer research and resources.

The organization was inspired by Barrett “Bear” Krupa. He was diagnosed with a form pediatric cancer called Wilms tumor, and lost his battle at the age of 8-years old in 1993. He and his mother, Kathleen A. Casey, would create Bear Necessities to raise funds for medical research and help others going through sickness.

The Hope Award, named after William J. Casey, honors individuals and organizations that assist the organization in its mission and provide hope and support to those who are impacted. President Bob Arthur was on hand to accept the award for Magellan Corporation, the Spotlight Sponsors for the Bear Tie Ball. The organization have represented as sponsors for 10 years.

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Across Chicago, members of service and athletic institutions congratulated the Reinsdorf family for their recent philanthropic honor by La Rabida Children’s Hospital. The Reinsdorfs, who own the Chicago Bulls and the Chicago White Sox, received the Family Philanthropy award during the 2013 Friends of La Rabida Awards Celebration on Friday night.

La Rabida Children’s Hospital, established in 1896, is a pediatric specialty care hospital, treating children with chronic illnesses, developmental disabilities, and other lifelong conditions. La Rabida provides family centered, interdisciplinary care to 7,500 children with special health care needs each year at its lakeside location. The hospital’s annual gala is a major fundraiser for the hospital and its programs, which rely on philanthropy and Medicaid to operate.

The Reinsdorf family is a longstanding supporter of the hospital, which exclusively serves children with special health care needs. To continue reading, click here.

If you've seen Derrick Rose, Tom Thibodeau or any othermember of the Chicago Bulls organization on TV speaking to the media over the past three years, you're likely familiar with the name Magellan.

It's in the white "three sails" logo dotting the black backdrop for nearly every Bulls news conference, screaming for attention while you're hanging on every spoken word.

But you probably don't know what Magellan is, what it does where it's based — and for Magellan, that's just fine.

"We're not trolling for new customers," Magellan President Bob Arthur said.

A quick rundown: Deerfield-based Magellan Corporation is a global distributor of specialty steel products and a subsidiary of cargo ship management conglomerate Seatrade Transport International Inc.

The company operates more than 40 oceangoing boats that ship industrial steel products used in factories and on machinery but not typically in the consumer space. To continue reading, click here.

Tucked away in the back of Miner School in Arlington Heights is a greenhouse and sustainable vegetable garden.

Students at the therapeutic day school helped to cultivate its plants -- mostly different varieties of lettuce and spinach -- during the spring, with the hopes of growing fresh vegetables for the Wheeling Township Food Pantry.

These community partners were recognized during a celebration that originally had been designed to honor the Northwest Suburban Special Education Organization's "Shining Stars," or students and faculty who had gone above and beyond. This year, they included community partners of the education cooperative, which serves students from a number of local school districts.

Honorees included Frank Paolillo of Park Ridge and his company, the Magellan Corp. in Deerfield, who together donated 20 iPads to students at Timber Ridge School, another therapeutic day school in Arlington Heights.

"We wanted to help further students' educational and social development," Paolillo said.

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The Chicago White Sox on June 1, 2013 played host to Rayshon Cobb, his family and his LaRabida Rehabilitation and Child Life team. Rayshon's triumphant recovery at LaRabida after being shot in the head Christmas morning in a drive-by shooting drew city wide attention earlier this year.

White Sox VIPs celebrating Rayshon's success included General Manager Ken Williams, Coach Robin Ventura, new recruit Orlando Hudson and of course mascot Southpaw.

Rayshon, his family and Team LaRabida were seated directly above the White Sox dugout to watch the Sox beat the Seattle Mariners and were on the field for a fireworks extravaganza following the game.

Magellan Corporation wholeheartedly supports the outstanding work of LaRabida hospital, as they offer compassionate, state-of-the-art medical treatment to a staggering 9,000 children a year, regardless of financial circumstances. They have more than 100 years of experience treating children and helping them reach their fullest potential by offering an integrated approach to healthcare, caring for the patient while also supporting the family.

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This news release from January [as seen below] explains the deal, that  Magellan Corporation is using part of its sponsorship deal with the Sox to help promote other charitable organizations it supports, including the Old Town School of Folk Music. Coincidentally (or maybe not, as I think of it) "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" makes for a fine waltz, and dance pianist Patt Plunkett and I sang it at the break of last night's Chicago Barn Dance Company throw down.

MLB.com  

CHICAGO – Magellan Corporation, a leading global distributor of specialty steel, has partnered with the Chicago White Sox to become the official corporate sponsor of the premium Scout Seat Section and Scout Seat Lounge at U.S. Cellular Field.  The sponsorship agreement includes the 2013, 2014 and 2015 baseball seasons.

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The Old Town School of Folk Music's annual Blue Jean Gala is the Chicago music lover's most anticipate annual event.

And 2013 did not disappoint. Featuring the, both, inimitable Kris Kristofferson and Alison Krauss.

Singer-songwriter and actor Kristofferson has credits too numerous to mention, but include "Me and Bobby McGee:, "For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make it Through the Night", all of which were hits for other artists. Along with fellow country music greats Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash, he formed the supergroup the Highwaymen in 1985.

Bluegrass, country singer and musician Alison Krauss has won 27 Grammy Awards, is well known for, among her prolific catalogue of music, "When You Say Nothing at All", "Whiskey Lullaby", and "Down to the River to Pray" from the "O Brother Where Art Thou" soundtrack, among others.

And on this night, at the Magellan-sponsored OSFM Blue Jean Gala, the audience was electrified.

The Chicago White Sox announced two sponsorship deal with University of Chicago Medicine and Deerfield-based steel distributor Magellan Corp. on Friday, ahead of this weekend's annual SoxFest convention.

The University of Chicago Medicine partnership will tie the Hyde Park hospital to the team's Kids Club and Family Sundays promotion this season.

The hospital will be the "presenting sponsor" of all 13 Sunday home games this year, at which upper-deck tickets start at $5, stadium parking will be $10 (cut from $20), and kids will get to run the bases and get autographs after the game.

The sponsorship, announced this morning at Woodlawn Community School on the South Side, adds U of C Medicine to a Sox stable of partners that includes MillerCoors, U.S. Cellular, BP and United Airlines, among other.

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