NASCAR announces Cup Series Chicago Street Race anthem singer

NASCAR Chicago Street Race announced Wednesday that Uniting Voices Chicago (formerly Chicago Children’s Choir) will perform the national anthem prior to Sunday’s Grant Park 220 Cup Series street race on July 2.

The live performance, which will be broadcast nationally on NBC, will include more than 30 local singers from the non-profit organization, whose mission is to empower youth from diverse backgrounds through the power of music.

“Since day one, this race has been about giving a platform to the great city of Chicago on a global scale,” Julie Giese, Chicago Street Race President, said. “Welcoming Uniting Voices Chicago represents an opportunity to showcase these talented young singers on an international stage, so we look forward to their performance of the national anthem prior to the Grant Park 220.”

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Uniting Voices Chicago is a network of in-school and after-school programs composed of students from all over the city. The official website states that the choir, founded in 1956 and inspired by the civil rights movement, “is rooted in the belief that music is a vehicle for fostering empathy and respect between young people of all races, ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds, religions, gender identities, and sexual orientations."

“Uniting Voices Chicago helps our singers become cultural diplomats and world citizens in our global society, and this partnership with NASCAR will give our talented singers an opportunity to do that on a truly international scale,” Josephine Lee, Uniting Voices President and Artistic Director, said. “We are proud to partner with a group like NASCAR who is so committed to this city and its young people.”

These programs provide accessible music education to thousands of children ages 6-18 from more than 80 Chicago schools.

Uniting Voices Chicago has made regular appearances at Lyric Opera and Ravinia Festival, and was previously featured on Chance the Rapper’s Grammy-winning “Coloring Book” project.