Actress and singer Jennifer Hudson returned to Chicago Tuesday to honor the memory of her slain nephew.
Hudson and her sister, Julia Hudson, handed out school supplies at the Kroc Corps Community Center, at 1250 W. 119th St. in the West Pullman neighborhood, as part of the second annual Julian King Hatch Day.
The supplies were given to 5,000 low-income students entering kindergarten through 12th grade, double the number that were helped last year.
"That's the overwhelming part. Like, wow, to see how it's snowballing. And this is only the second year. That's our dream, to see it grow and grow and grow and grow, because the more it grows the more people we can help," said Hudson.
A jury in May convicted William Balfour, Julia Hudson's estranged husband, of killing Julian in 2008. Balfour was given three consecutive life sentences for the deaths of Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson; brother, Jason Hudson; and nephew, Julian.
Tuesday would have been Julian's 11th birthday.
Julia Hudson said the Hatch Day event originally was her son's idea.
"Julian loved school and professed to be Dr. King," she said.
