The 9th Annual Blackhawks Convention, proudly sponsored by Magellan Corporation for the 4th consecutive year, was held July 15-17, 2016, at the Hilton Chicago on Michigan Avenue.  

The three day convention is the stuff that dreams are made of for the avid Hawks fan -- and thousands clambered to avail themselves of the meet and greet sessions with players, coaches, alumni and staff, the special hockey clinics, an exclusive kids-only press conference, a Blackhawks Second City Improv show, and various panels and unique opportunities throughout the weekend.  One lucky fan even won a chance to play ping pong against Niklas Hjalmarsson.

The Blackhawks, with some of the fiercest and most loyal fans in professional sports, have been a Chicago stalwart since 1926, and have won six Stanley Cup Championships since their founding.

Guests of Magellan were treated to a private banquet with Blackhawks players, coaches, alumni and staff.  During this once in a lifetime opportunity guests were able to mingle with the Blackhawks, take pictures and get autographs.  

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You never really realize how short you are until you have the pleasure to meet some remarkable WNBA athletes! And Magellan Corporation staff and family had the chance to do just that as we were honored to host a luncheon at our offices for the Chicago Sky on July 7, 2016.

Players, coaches and staff generously took the time to answer questions, tell stories, and engage with their eager audience.

The 2016 Chicago Sky season was the franchise's 11th season in the Women's National Basketball Association. The team was founded in 2006.

Magellan Corporation believes in promoting opportunities for girls and women in athletics, business, STEM, and across the board. We are firmly dedicated to erasing the gender gap and support organizations that fight for equality. The introduction of a WNBA team to Chicago has enriched the athletic reputation and landscape of the city, and Magellan is proud to support these extraordinary athletes.

Thank you to the Chicago Sky for a great afternoon!

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Magellan Corporation proudly welcomed Medal of Honor Recipient Captain Florent Groberg and family as special guests of the Chicago Sox game during the company sponsored fireworks night on June 10, 2016 at U.S. Cellular Field. To see video, click here.

Captain Groberg was deployed to the Kunar Province of Afghanistan where he served as personal security detachment commander for Task Force Mountain Warrior. During a patrol, on August 8, 2012, he spotted an individual walking backwards in the direction of his patrol. The individual revealed his suicide vest, and began approaching the formation. Captain Groberg rushed the  bomber, shoving him away from the patrol and physically pulled him away and down to the ground. The bomber’s vest detonated. The explosion triggered a second concealed bomb. Captain Groberg sustained serious injuries, and spent his recovery at Walter Reed Medical Center. His heroic actions saved the majority of lives he was charged with protecting that day. He was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama on November 12, 2015.

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Magellan Corporation was a proud sponsor of The Chicago Council on Science & Technology's 6th Annual Gala, Science in the City, held May 5, 2016 at UI labs on Goose Island.

Leaders from Chicago's business, philanthropic and scientific communities were in attendance.   The funds raised helped fund C²ST exciting programs, including topics such as “Your Microbiome and You”, “The Minds Inside Your Mind”, The Secret Lives of Chimpanzees, and Zika Virus. The Gala was hosted by Cristal Thomas, Vice President for Community Health and Engagement at University of Chicago Medicine.

The 2016 “Advancing the Public Understanding of Science & Technology" Award was presented to Dr. Lucianne Walkowicz, Astronomer at the Adler Planetarium, for sharing the passion and mission of C²ST.

Aaron Freeman, C²ST's resident comedian provided the audience with entertainment for the evening. Watch Aaron Freeman's video from the fundraiser, "Parasitic Mind Control and Suicidal Love."

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Dr. Shane L. Larson visited Magellan's offices on March 17, 2016, and presented a Lunch & Learn program about the discovery of gravitational waves, Planet X, and other recent astronomical findings. Planet X is a name drawn from the hypothetical planet once searched for by astronomers to account for discrepancies in the orbits of Uranus and Neptune. But respected scientists from Caltech say it's not so hypothetical after all, and presented evidence saying as much. Planet X would be the ninth planet in our solar system.

Dr. Larson is a Research Associate Professor of Physics at Northwestern University, where he’s a member of CIERA (Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics). He is also an astronomer at the Adler Planetarium.

He works in the field of gravitational wave astrophysics, specializing in the study of compact stars, binaries, and the galaxy.  He conducts research in gravitational wave astronomy with both the ground-based LIGO project, and future space-based detectors for NASA. It was a pleasure to have Dr. Larson visit Magellan and share his knowledge.

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The WNBA is celebrating its 20th season with new uniform colors for 10 of its 12 teams including the Chicago Sky.

The league said Monday the uniforms will replace the traditional white jerseys at home and color jerseys on the road. San Antonio and Los Angeles will remain the same since both already feature all-color uniform designs.

"Of course, it's significant to us," new WNBA President Lisa Borders said. "I am delighted we have picked up on these beautiful colors that add depth and context and contour to our teams."

The Sky's new home jersey is essentially the same as last season's road uniform, which features primarily Sky blue with a yellow accent extending from the shoulders to the upper back. The new road uniforms flips this look with yellow as the primary color and blue as the accent.

The WNBA becomes one of the first American pro leagues to have no white jerseys. The teams won't have specific home and away uniforms.

To continue reading, click here.

The Chicago Fire hosted the 18th annual Season Kickoff Luncheon presented by Magellan Corporation in downtown Chicago on Monday, March 21, 2016.

The event connected supporters, players and coaches, and club partners to celebrate a new season and support the award-winning youth development initiatives of the Chicago Fire Foundation.

The professional men's soccer team is named after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. It has become and emblem of rebirth, and the determination, grit and togetherness that rebuilt Chicago into a vibrant world class city. The Chicago Fire soccer team announced their formation on the 126th anniversary of that fire, October 8, 1997.

Since that date, the Fire has been Chicago soccer fan's number one team, adding Major League Soccer to the roster of Chicago sports. The goal of the Chicago Fire Foundation, the charitable arm of the team, is to contribute to the quality of life in Chicago and its surrounding communities. Their sports-based youth programs focus on development and direct service programs to underserved communities.

In honor of Black History Month the Chicago Sky hosted a creative expression contest encouraging students in Illinois to positively reflect on their favorite African American leader/icon and how this person inspires or inspired them to live out their dreams.

The contest, made possible in part by Sam’s Club, DuSable African American History Museum and Magellan Corporation, presented an opportunity for all K-12 students to show their understanding of the importance of acceptance and human rights by sharing their feelings, opinions, experiences and ideas in a creative style.

Winners received a $500 gift card, provided by Sam’s Club and the Sky Cares Foundation to be used towards school supplies, a tour for their entire class at DuSable African American History Museum guided by Tamera Young and Sky Guy and a Chicago Sky game experience at Allstate Arena in 2016.

It was our pleasure to be part of an initiative that encouraged young people to reflect upon and write about the people of color who have provided inspiration, leadership, change.

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Captain James A. Lovell, Jr., former NASA astronaut and retired Captain in the United States Navy, most famous as the commander of the Apollo 13 mission, visited the offices of Magellan Corporation on November 10, 2015.

And Houston, we had no problem with that at all.

Celebrating the 45th Anniversary of Apollo 13 mission, Captain Lovell spoke about his amazing four journeys into space, which were Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8 and Apollo 13. He was the first person to fly into space four times.

Captain Lovell was, in 1968, command module pilot of Apollo 8, at which time he became one of the first three humans to fly to and orbit the Moon. It was during the 1968 mission that Lovell named "Mount Marilyn," a lunar mountain of the moon, after his wife.

He is a recipient of the Congressional Space Medal of Honor and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

It was truly an honor to have Captain Lovell visit our offices, and for him to share his incredible story with us.  

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The Chicago Wolves hockey team hosted the second Salute to Military Families Night, presented by Kia and Magellan, on Saturday, November 21, 2015, when the team played the Grand Rapids Griffins at Allstate Arena.

The Wolves, Kia and Magellan honored current and former servicemen, servicewomen and their families throughout the night for their selfless dedication to our country.

“We were heartened by the response to our first Salute to Military Families Night,” said Chicago Wolves president Mike Gordon. “Many people who make a practice of avoiding the spotlight graciously accepted the attention they deserve. We want to provide that opportunity again while allowing families to enjoy their evening together.”

“Sponsoring the Salute to Military Families is important to us because it recognizes the selflessness and sacrifice of military families,” said Michael Minkus, Magellan’s Manager of External Relations. “We are indebted to our servicemen and women as well as their families. Our organization is happy and honored to be a part of this tribute.”

Freedom & Resistance, an insightful and challenging exhibit at the DuSable Museum of African American History, was dedicated to the thousands of unknown lives given in the name of freedom and equality. It was designed to take visitors on a journey through the African American experience addressing several key periods throughout history beginning at the Transatlantic Slave Trade and moving through the chattel slave system in the Americas.

The exhibit guided visitors through Reconstruction, the Great Migration and invited visitors to view the height of the Jim Crow era of racial segregation, followed by the complex, parallel tracks of the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Power Movement as they unfolded throughout the 1960s and 70s.

Visitors were taught about the achievements and setbacks of the 1980s and 90s before ending their experience at the dawn of the 21st Century as the country elected its first African American President. Magellan Corporation was proud and humbled to sponsor this informative and extremely moving exhibit.

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Adler astronomers and educators brought the museum—and the universe—a little closer for you!

With Scopes in the City, Adler astronomers and staff led free telescope observing programs in Chicago neighborhoods. Depending on the dates, times and locations of the Scopes in the City events, attendees were able to observe the Sun, Moon, Jupiter, Saturn, and more.

The Adler is America's first planetarium and a premiere resource for inspiring the next generation of space explorers. The museum was founded in 1930 by Chicago business leader Max Adler and has been a stalwart in the Chicago cultural landscape ever since, offering fascinating and accessible programing, conducting research, and hosting events. It is located on the northeast tip of Northerly Island, the eastern most building of Chicago's spectacular museum campus.

And, since it isn't always possible for kids in particular to get to the museum, they bring the show on the road!

Magellan greatly enjoys helping the Adler bring the heavens just a little closer to earth.

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