Ropes & Gray Helps Pack 50,000 Backpacks at Cradles to Crayons’ Annual Backpack-A-Thon

The Chicago office of Ropes & Gray participated in Cradles to Crayons’ fourth annual Backpack-A-Thon, which is part of the organization’s Ready for School initiative. In under three hours, Ropes & Gray volunteers helped to stuff 50,000 backpacks with school supplies for Chicago children in homeless and low-income situations. During the event, notebooks, pencils, rulers, erasers and other school essentials were placed in each backpack, and all 50,000 backpacks were distributed the same day to the Chicago public schools that partner with Cradles to Crayons to help children start the school year with dignity.

Ropes & Gray volunteers included Chicago office managing partner Laura Hoey; global practice group co-leader for private equity transactions Neill Jakobe (who also serves on Cradles to Crayons’ Chicago Corporate Advisory Council); litigation and enforcement partner Nick Berg; private equity partner Tim Castelli; asset management partner Paulita Pike; asset management counsel Rita Rubin; litigation and enforcement associates Philip Ehrlich and Grant Hodges; and business support team members Kori Fahrner, Jeanne Hoff (who also serves on Cradles to Crayons’ Chicago Next Generation Council), Chris Larsen, Amanda Lundergan, Debra Schilling and Mikeisha Walker. Family members in attendance included Liam Berg, Natalie Berg, Lisa Faulkner, Stacy Jakobe (who also serves on Cradles to Crayons’ Chicago Family Advisory Council), Eva Jakobe and Isaiah Jakobe.