The idea was to take an artifact of violence and turn it into message hope, by transplanting a bullet hole from Chicago’s most dangerous neighborhood to downtown Chicago.

We removed the bullet hole from the club, and created an installation that was placed at Chicago’s iconic Tribune Tower, a building famous for the historically significant building fragments that adorn its façade. The Bullet Hole Transplant offered passersby a chance to discover real stories of hope behind the violence. Using NFC technology, people could unlock videos on their phones telling stories of hope from the club. And people could donate then right there, using the Venmo app.

By taking what some would view as just another example of a ruined neighborhood, and turning it into an emotional example of hope, we proved that the toughest people in Chicago’s most violent neighborhood aren’t gangsters, but children. The Bullet Hole Transplant was an integral part of the most successful fundraising campaign in the Club’s 116 years, raising enough money to keep the doors open for years to come, and helping to keep over 3000 brave, young kids from being recruited into gang drugs and violence.