LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Veteran defensive end Alex Brown will be honored as the “Bear of the Year” on Thursday, Feb. 11 at the 22nd Annual Comcast SportsNet Sports Awards.

The event, which has raised nearly $7 million for the March of Dimes over the past two decades, will be held at the Hilton Chicago (720 S. Michigan Avenue) and hosted by radio legend Steve Dahl.

Defensive end Alex Brown has appeared in 127 consecutive games, the longest active streak by any Bears player.

One player from each pro sports franchise in town will be honored based on their contributions to their team as well as the community. Joining Brown will be John Salmons of the Bulls, Ryan Dempster of the Cubs, A.J. Pierzynski of the White Sox, Jonathan Toews of the Blackhawks and Jon Busch of the Fire.

Former White Sox great Frank Thomas will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award, while the Farmer’s Insurance Inspirational Athlete Award will be presented to 19-year-old Maribel Melendez, who has persevered as an athlete, student, and mentor despite being born with quadriplegic cerebral palsy.

Attendees will be able to participate in a silent auction featuring Chicago sports packages and “Dream Day” tickets, vacation packages, autographed jerseys, tickets to sports events and more. Fans can also bid online by logging into CSNChicago.com and clicking on the “Sports Awards” link.

Tickets to the event cost $300 apiece. Tables for preferred seating for 10 are available for $4,000. For more information, call Amanda Condon at (312) 596-4722 or visit CSNChicago.com.

Making a Dent: For Bears fans eager to learn whether Richard Dent is voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Class of 2010 will be announced on NFL Network at 4 p.m. (CT) Saturday.

For the sixth time in the last seven years, Dent is one of 15 modern-era finalists. He played 12 of his 15 NFL seasons with the Bears, registering a franchise-high 124½ sacks. He was named Super Bowl XX MVP, was an integral part of a defense that is considered one of the best in NFL history, and was selected to four Pro Bowls.

Sports Illustrated’s Peter King, who is a member of the Hall of Fame Selection Committee, recently estimated that Dent’s odds of being elected this year are 7-to-5, topped only by Emmitt Smith and Jerry Rice at 1-to-5 and senior candidate Dick LeBeau at 6-to-5.

The first-ever “Fans Choice Class of 2010” will also be revealed on the NFL Network show. In September, fans were invited to vote for who they believe should be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010 at fanschoice.com. More than 1.2 million votes have been cast since the program’s inception.

A good cause: During his trip to his native Nigeria last spring, Israel Idonije noticed that many local residents don’t own shoes. It’s a situation the Bears defensive lineman hopes to remedy by partnering with a Chicago-based non-profit organization, Share Your Soles, to collect gently worn shoes.

Through the Israel Idonije Foundation’s CARE (Caring, Advancing, Restoring and Educating) Africa program, Share Your Soles will assist in the collection, sanitation, packaging and shipping of shoes. Idonije will then help distribute the shoes during his third annual trip to Africa next month.

The shoe drive will be conducted through Feb. 19. The greatest needs are for gym shoes, athletic shoes, flats and sandals. Purple-labeled collection bins are located throughout the Chicago area in most running stores and more than 40 sites. For a list of drop off sites, log onto shareyoursoles.org.

Hitting the lanes: Bears fullback Jason McKie will host a bowling fundraiser on Tuesday, May 18 at Brunswick Zone in Vernon Hills. “Celebowl” gives fans a chance to meet and bowl with celebrities. Last year’s event was attended by more than 40 Bears players and coaches.

Celebowl benefits the Jason McKie Foundation of the Institute for Science and Health, which focuses on programs in the areas of education and wellness with an emphasis on making an impact in the lives of families and soldiers. The foundation provides scholarships to military dependents who have had a parent or spouse killed or injured.

Tickets for the event start at $75. For more information, log onto JasonMcKie.org.