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Red Jacket Optional

Chicago's Most Inspirational Gala

Support Our Programs

Red Jacket Optional

The most inspirational concert of the year.

Thanks for tuning in! Red Jacket Optional 2021 was our most successful yet, raising nearly $1.75m for the youth of Chicago.

Stay tuned for more upcoming events and concerts!

Join us on October 22, 2022 at the Geraghty for Red Jacket Optional 2022!

Red Jacket Optional by the Numbers

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$1.75 million

raised to nurture the next generation of global leaders.

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500

attendees celebrating in person at the Geraghty.
Virtual

24.39 million

impressions across print, broadcast, and digital platforms.

Red Jacket Optional celebrated 65 years of raising voices

Through our programs, we have empowered young people the world over to embrace their potential, express themselves boldly, and to strive for excellence—on stage and off. Over the course of more than six decades, we have inspired and changed more than 50,000 lives.

And we're just getting started.

RJO Photo Gallery

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