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BEARS SCHOOL OUTREACHEach Tuesday during the football season, Bears players visit Chicago Public Schools to speak to, motivate, and interact with students as part of the Bears School Outreach program. The theme for player visits is character development, goal setting, and commitment to excellence. 21 Bears players visited 20 different Chicago Public Schools and spoke to over 7,000 students in 2007. |
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HELLO TO OUR HEROES
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PLAY IT SMARTThe National Football Foundation's Play It Smart program was introduced in Chicago in 2001 at Hubbard High School. The Chicago Bears have supported this program over the years through many different avenues, including player appearances, volunteer opportunities, and a $20,000 donation in 2005. Since its inception, Play It Smart has grown to include six schools within the Chicago Public Schools system. As part of this education program, a trained academic coach works with student athletes for an entire school year and focuses on positive personal development, decision making, responsibility, maturity issues, and leadership skills. The results of this successful program are clear: graduation rates of participants are 11% greater and college matriculation rates are 40% higher than school averages; 85% of seniors take the SAT/ACT, a higher rate than their peers; and 97% of Play It Smart participants graduate from high school compared to the national rate of 86%. |
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TALES TO TACKLE
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PRO FOOTBALL HOF EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH PROGRAMThe activities in this packet are designed to meet the educational needs of teachers within a sports context. The areas covered include language arts, mathematics and science. There are many school districts throughout the country who participate in this program with their favorite teams. You can start with any section and move at your own pace. To download the Chicago Bears Activity Guide click here. |
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BEARS HUGS"Bear Hugs" was created to lift the spirits of sick children in hospitals throughout Chicagoland with the help of Bears mascot "Staley." Through "Bear Hugs," Staley visits various children’s hospitals each month. He delivers teddy bears, spends time with young patients and spreads his cheer throughout the medical facilities. Staley has visited the following hospitals as part of the program: Advocate Hope Children's Hospital, Children's Memorial Hospital, La Rabida Children's Hospital, Ronald McDonald Children's Hospital, Lutheran General Children's Hospital, Shriners Hospital for Children, Rush University and Medical Center, and University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital. For more information or to schedule a visit, please contact the Bears Community Relations Department at (847) 739-5308. |
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WHAT MOVES UResponding to the continuing decline of physical education programs in many of America’s schools and the lack of physical activity for today’s youth, the National Football League and American Heart Association (AHA) have created What Moves U, a national youth movement and awareness campaign designed to promote physical fitness and healthy living to an increasingly inactive generation of children. This initiative incorporates several key elements: an in-school activity kit created for teachers, by teachers, which includes curriculum-based activity sheets, program-specific learning materials and school promotional materials; and an interactive fitness-focused website for children.
Teachers may download the in-school activity kit on www.WhatMovesU.com. Unlike other physical fitness programs, What Moves U has been developed for teachers of various academic disciplines to help them find ways to integrate physical activities into their existing lesson plans. To learn more about the What Moves U program and the Chicago Bears, continue to check back at www.ChicagoBears.com/community. |
DESIGNATED DRIVER
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BEARS SHARE
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CHICAGO BEARS/JEWEL-OSCO "COAT DRIVE"
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HOMETOWN HUDDLEThe Chicago Bears annually support the NFL/United Way “Hometown Huddle” volunteerism program. In 2007, the Bears Rookie Class helped unveil a new fitness and learning zone at Whittier School in Waukegan. The project began with a $30,000 grant from the Bears to convert what was once a blacktop lot into an area with brand new playground equipment. The Bears Rookie Class helped demonstrate active learning games and tested out the new playground with over 300 students. The “Hometown Huddle” program is an NFL-wide day of service that provides NFL players, coaches, wives, and staff from each team the opportunity to participate in a variety of community-service activities, including building homes for low-income families, working with the elderly, building playgrounds, serving food to the homeless, visiting local military bases and funding after-school programs for underserved children. Started in 1999 by the NFL and United Way, “Hometown Huddle” continues to help make a difference in local NFL communities. |
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PAWS FOR A CAUSEEach year, the Chicago Bears organization gives new meaning to the word "teamwork." The entire organization - including players, coaches, executives and staff - joins together to participate in a hands-on activity. "Paws for a Cause" addresses the need to help deserving children and families through hands-on volunteer efforts. This program encourages everyone to take time out of their busy schedules for one day to actively make a difference in the lives of people who are most in need. |
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ROOKIE RALLYEach year, the Bears Rookie Class participates as a group in four hands-on volunteer activities as part of the Bears “Rookie Rally” program. This program was created by the Bears Community Relations department to involve the team’s first-year players, as a group, in charitable activities throughout the season. The “Rookie Rally” program helps the rookies learn more about their new community, serve several worthwhile charitable organizations in the area, and bond together through volunteerism. |
The "Hello to Our Heroes" program, which is sponsored by Staples, was developed by the Chicago Bears in an effort to help boost the morale of American soldiers who are currently serving overseas. In support of this program, a Bears player visits a different local school once a month during the football season to help students write letters to members of the military. These letters are sent to the USO of Illinois for distribution overseas. Staples provides letter writing kits to the students to assist them in writing letters to United States service men and woman abroad. In addition, Staples provides the same kits to the service men and women overseas who receive the students' letters. For more information about the "Hello to Our Heroes" program, please call (847) 739-5308.
For the fourth consecutive year, the Chicago Bears administered an exciting reading incentive program called “Tales to Tackle,” which ran from mid-October through mid-January. The goal of this program, geared toward 6th, 7th, and 8th graders, is for students to read three teacher-approved books per month. The main component of the “Tales to Tackle” program is a reading notebook, which includes photos of Bears players. The notebook also includes a list of suggested books and has plenty of space for students to write book reports and allows the students to keep track of the books that they read during the program. Every child who achieved the goal of reading three books per month for the three month period was entered into a random drawing for the chance to win a special “Bears Experience” at Halas Hall in Lake Forest. The “Tales to Tackle” program is sponsored by ComEd, and is a component of the Chicago Bears Education initiative, which is presented by Chase. Please call (847) 739-5308 if you are a teacher interested in introducing the program to your students in 2008.
In support of this initiative, the Chicago Bears, the American Heart Association, and Walgreen’s have joined forces to promote the What Moves U program throughout Chicagoland. What Moves U officially launched in 2006 in over 15,000 middle schools nationwide. Each season Chicago Bears players participate in local assemblies for middle school students where they lead the kids in various fitness exercises, emphasizing the importance of stretching, strength and endurance. They also assist with trivia games to help educate the students about the importance of nutrition and being physically active.
“Start Your Game Right, Designate a Driver.” The Chicago Bears, Sportservice, and Miller Brewing Company encourage fans to sign up to be Designated Drivers. If you are 21 years of age or older, pledge not to drink alcohol beverages at a Bears game, and will provide responsible transportation for all members of your group, please stop by a Fan Services booth to receive a Designated Driver wrist band and coupon for a complimentary soft drink. Participants will be asked to sign a pledge card and show identification to verify their age.
Bears season ticket holders unable to attend a Bears home game may donate tickets to Special Olympics Illinois through our Bears Share ticket donation program. This program gives Special Olympics athletes and volunteers the opportunity to experience a game. The season ticket holder receives a tax deduction for the donation of the tickets. Tickets should be received at the following address no later than the Wednesday prior to the scheduled game: Special Olympics Illinois, c/o Bears Share Ticket Donation, 800 Roosevelt Road; Building B, Suite 220, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137-5860.
The Chicago Bears were proud to partner with Jewel-Osco for the 19th Annual Bears/Jewel-Osco "Coat Drive." From November 12, 2007 – January 4, 2008 fans helped deserving families during the holiday season by donating winter coats. Donations benefited The Salvation Army and public schools throughout Chicagoland. Bears fans donated coats at all 185 Jewel-Osco stores throughout Chicagoland. Please log on to: 
