Bears host Celebrating Women and Girls in Sports game vs Steelers
Story by Gabby Hajduk, photos by Jacob Funk and Molly Kaiser
ChicagoBears.com highlights the team's efforts around Sunday's inaugural Celebrating Women and Girls in Sports game, presented by Jewel-Osco.
The Bears first launched the Celebrating Women and Girls in Sports theme during training camp this summer, dedicating a public practice to empowering the team's female fans, female athletes and female professionals. The team then expanded those efforts into a game dedicated to Celebrating Women and Girls in Sports, which honors the trailblazers, leaders and rising women who continue to shape the future of the organization.
"The Chicago Bears are committed to fostering productive conversation, action and development for girls in athletics," said Sarah Smith, Bears vice president of fan development & brand marketing. "This first ever game for the Club is a celebration of our season long emphasis and priority to use our platform to celebrate and uplift women and girls in sports."
The celebration began right as fans walked into Soldier Field's main gates, with custom signage displayed all around the concourse.
A pair of photo opportunities were also set up on the concourse, including a girls flag football display that honored Maine South High School's 2025 State Championship team, along with all of the other teams that participated in the IHSA season.
The on-field celebrations started with a touching tribute to both Virginia Halas McCaskey — the only daughter of Pro Football Hall of Famer George Halas and the Bears' principal owner since 1983, who passed away Feb. 6 — as well as Patricia Rooney — the wife of late Steelers chairman Dan Rooney, who passed away in 2021.
In 2019, the pair of trailblazers and matriarchs were featured together in a 2019 documentary entitled "A Lifetime of Sundays" that chronicled the story of four iconic female NFL owners – McCaskey, Rooney, Martha Firestone Ford and Norma Hunt.
The wives and girlfriends of current Bears players, many of whom were donning exclusive "Celebrating Women and Girls in Sports" t-shirts, were also honored before the game.
As part of the pregame festivities, Oak Park River Forest High School girls flag football player Anika Sherman performed the national anthem, while members of the Cook County Sheriff's Office and Evanston Police Department made up the all-female color guard.
Throughout the game, Bears female employees were honored on the videoboards through custom graphics as well as group photos of each department within the organization.
Bears' female on-camera talent was also featured in various ways throughout the game. Content presenter Jasmine Baker interviewed Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast in Olympic history and wife of Bears safety Jonathan Owens, who gave a powerful message to women and girls in sports.
Sideline reporter Lauren Screeden delivered in-stadium hits, including an interview with Hall of Fame middle linebacker Mike Singletary.
Baker, Screeden and writer Gabby Hajduk were also given a special tribute from Staley Da Bear on social media.
Halftime featured a celebration of high school girls flag football student-athletes and coaches who are championing the sport's growth across the state. The Bears have led Illinois' girls flag football movement, starting with a pilot program in 2021 that featured 22 Chicago Public League teams. This year, more than 200 high schools statewide participated in the second IHSA-sanctioned season.
Recipients of the High School Girls Flag Football Coach and Player of the Week awards, brought to you by Dunkin', were also recognized for their achievements during the 2025 season.
The 2025 State Champion Maine South High School team then ran out of the tunnel to be recognized for their historic season, which included their quarterback Aribella Spandiary and head coach Carlos Panizo winning Player of the Year and Coach of the Year honors.
As part of the celebration, the Bears also hosted a Celebrating Girls in Sports Career Expo at Halas Hall earlier in the week that brought together the Maine South and Whitney Young girls flag football teams.
The event introduced the student-athletes to careers across sports, media and business and connected them directly with Bears female employees, including women in leadership positions, through a networking session and panels.
The Bears also honored their female employees earlier in the week with a social media video featuring the popular "pass the phone" trend.
To get a look at even more of Sunday's festivities, check out Screeden's video following the Bears' win.
