Magellan Corporation was proud to serve as the presenting sponsor of the Chicago Fire FC Annual Season Kick-Off Luncheon on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at Swissôtel Chicago. The sold-out event drew approximately 600 business and philanthropic partners from across the region to raise unprecedented support for the Chicago Fire Foundation’s P.L.A.Y.S. Program (Participate, Learn, Achieve, Youth, Soccer) — and together, attendees helped raise a record-setting amount of more than $330,000 to fuel the nonprofit youth initiative.

The luncheon marked a powerful kickoff to the 2026 MLS season. Head coach Gregg Berhalter addressed the crowd about the optimism surrounding the Fire after a breakthrough 2025 campaign, when the club reached the playoffs for the first time since 2017 — highlighted by the team posting the highest fitness test results in club history as they return to the pitch for the coming season.

Magellan guests were joined at their tables by Fire leadership and talent, including Coach Berhalter and midfielder Philip Zinckernagel. Players were scattered throughout the room, many hailing from Chicago and the surrounding suburbs -- a testament to the homegrown strength of the club's roster.

President Dave Baldwin spoke with enthusiasm about the team’s business success and the momentum building behind the Fire’s future, particularly the advancement of the club’s privately funded, downtown stadium project, with shovels expected to hit the ground soon.

All proceeds from the luncheon benefit the Chicago Fire Foundation’s P.L.A.Y.S. Program, which uses soccer as a platform to enhance academic performance and develop social-emotional skills among students in Chicago Public Schools.

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