Chicago sports franchises team up to tackle violence in city

CHICAGO -- Chicago's major sports franchises are teaming up to tackle violence in the city.

Baseball's White Sox and Cubs, the NFL's Bears, NBA's Bulls and NHL's Blackhawks announced Wednesday they are forming the Chicago Sports Alliance and donating a total of $1 million in one-time grants to three programs addressing violence.

The money will go to Choose 2 Change, a mentoring program aiming to reduce violence among youth in the city's rough Englewood neighborhood; training analysts who work with the Chicago Police Department to develop strategies to reduce crime in the city's most violent areas; and the University of Chicago's crime lab to measure the impact of the teams' effort.

The franchises will also continue their own charitable work.