CHICAGO (October 27, 2026) -- Giving back is an important part of the AAU Cares mission and so many of our AAU members have been dedicated to that cause. Clubs, teams, athletes, and volunteers have been making a difference in their communities with food drives to help serve families in need.

One of these stories comes from Joe Petrauskas and the Burrito Brigade in Chicago. Petrauskas is a long-time AAU Karate member, and when he’s not teaching or coaching at Midwest Karate Do Association, he is taking time to volunteer with Burrito Brigade Chicago. 

With a group of 25 to 40 volunteers, they start by preparing and cooking ingredients to make between 550 and 600 vegetarian burritos. The burritos are then individually wrapped and boxed for delivery. Distribution is done by volunteer drivers and cyclists from CyclingxSolidarity. 

Burrito Brigade Chicago distributes burritos to food pantries like Stuffed Love and outreach programs such as Testimony Ministry along with other missions and nonprofits to deliver nutritious warm meals to communities in need. This is one of the many ways that Petrauskas and other AAU members are giving back and showing that they care. If you’d like to learn more about Burrito Brigade Chicago, visit their website here - BurritoBrigadeChi.org. 

Let’s show our communities what AAU Cares is all about and help make Thanksgiving a little brighter for families in need.

If your club or team organizes a food drive or volunteers in your community, share your photos and stories with us so we can recognize and celebrate the AAU members who are making a difference.