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Join us in celebrating the California Golden Bear spirit at events in our region.
upcoming EVENTS
KICK OFF 2026 WITH CAL!
Join fellow UC Berkeley alumni for an energetic evening of connection, conversation, and Cal spirit as we kick off 2026 together!
January 7th, 2026, 5:15 PM
Location:
Punch Bowl Social
310 N Green St, Chicago, IL 60607
Whether you’re looking to reconnect, expand your network, spark new ideas, or simply enjoy time with fellow Bears, this is the perfect way to launch the year. Hope to see you there, and Go Bears!
Registration link for Cal Alumni 2026 Kickoff:
MEN’S BASKETBALL WATCH PARTY:
CAL VS. NORTH CAROLINA
Mark Madsen has the Bears off to a hot start. Come join us to cheer on the Bears as the Tar Heels visit Haas Pavilion.
Saturday, January 17th, 2026
3 PM CST
Location:
The Bad Apple Lincoln Park
658 W. Belden
Chicago, IL
MORE UPCOMING EVENTS: check this site and our newsletter (sign-up at the bottom of this page) for real time updates.
Winter: more Men’s and Women’s Basketball watch parties and Networking Happy Hours.
Spring: April - Midwest Admitted Cal Student Yield Event hosted by Cal Admissions and CACC. May - CACC Volunteers at Illinois Food Bank.
Summer: Summer Welcome Party for Midwest incoming Cal students and their families at Sunrise Beach, Lake Bluff.
GET INVOLVED!
ACTIVELY SEEKING ALUMS FOR ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE
We are looking for Cal Alums and Cal parents to assist with one or two events this year. If you are interested in helping the CACC continue to support the University, Cal Alumni and Cal students and their families in the Mid west, please contact CACC VP Events Nelson at nplin@yahoo.com You can also email us at Calalumniassociationchicago@gmail.com
RECENT EVENTS
CACC HOSTS JOINT WATCH PARTY WITH
STANFORD ALUMS FOR BIG GAME 2025
Over 100 Cal and Stanford alums came together for a co-hosted Big Game Watch party in Chicago on November 22 in one of our largest gatherings to date. Sliders, tacos and pizza were enjoyed by all. Two lucky Cal alums won Cal swag from the raffle drawing, and (except for the outcome of the game), Cal alums enjoyed mixing and mingling with one another and with that other ACC school’s alums South of the Bay.
As a post script to the Big Game, Cal went on to beat nationally ranked SMU, Cal earned a spot in the Hawaii Bowl. GO BEARS!!!!!
ALUMNI AND CAL WBB FANS HEAD TO PARIS
FOR SEASON OPENER
Cal WBB student-athletes arriving in Paris 10/30/25
Bears travel well - alumni in Paris supporting WBB
The women's basketball team participated in the Oui-Play Paris 2025, kicking off the season vs. Vanderbilt on Nov. 3 at the Adidas Arena in Paris. Several Midwestern alumni made the trip to catch the opener of a team that is coming off one of their most successful seasons ever. Last year, the Bears earned an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018-19, won 25 games for the first time since 2012-13, maintained an Associated Press Top 25 ranking for eight straight weeks, set a program record for home wins in a season (16), and defeated multiple ranked teams.
TAILGATES AND REUNIONS WITH MIDWEST ALUMS
Midwest alumni have traveled well this fall for football too. We’ve reunited for road games and also trips to the Berkeley campus - the above pix were taken in a visit pre-game vs. Louisville on 11/8/25 by CACC members. More reunions to come for 2025-26!
DECEMBER MIDWEST ALUMNI PROFILE: TRANSITIONING FROM “THE CORRIDORS OF POWER” TO THE CLASSROOM
For our December profile of Berkeley alums from the Midwest region, this month we met up with Sarah Chandler in Saint Louis, who talked about some of the challenges of working with special needs kids after a successful career in international relations. “Dealing with explosive personalities and helping kids learn how to deal with whatever kind of trauma or challenges they were coping with, none of that was in the cards” during her time at Berkeley. Click here to read the full profile on our blog page.
2025 CAL ALUMNI CLUB OF CHICAGO T-SHIRTS FOR SALE
Show your Cal spirit in Chicago by purchasing a Cal Alumni Club of Chicago t-shirt for $35 plus shipping. Email calalumniassociationchicago@gmail.com for orders.
About
We are an officially chartered chapter of the California Alumni Association bringing together Cal alums form the greater Chicagoland area and surrounding Midwest states.
The Cal Alumni Club of Chicago organizes social activities, game watches and volunteer events for Alumni throughout the year. We also work with the University to coordinate and host a Summer Welcome Party for the new Midwest Cal students.
If you are interested in getting involved, sign-up for our events and please email us at calalumniassociationchicago<at>gmail.com. Sign-up for our monthly newsletter below.
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