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 Those who know me know I am not a big sports fan, but I am just back from watching the Chicago Bears play the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field in Chicago. The principal of Saint Thomas the Apostle School (Hyde Park area of Chicago), Dorothy Murphy, and I were invited by the President/Owner of the Chicago Bears, Mike McCaskey, to watch the game from his private box. We got to the game a bit early and after welcoming us, Mike McCaskey had to go down to the field, and that gave Dorothy a chance to brief me as to all the photographs on the wall—George Hallas, Dick Butkus, and Walter Payton, among others. Just how did we receive this invitation?
The school system of the Archdiocese of Chicago, through its ‘Big Shoulders’ scholarship program has a ‘Patrons Program’ for inner-city schools. A patron provides at least $100,000 per year for three years to help establish the school on a sounder financial footing and to enhance services for the students. Saint Thomas the Apostle School sent in a request for a patron to ‘Big Shoulders’ early in 2007. Little did we know that the Chicago Bears would become that patron.
After applying we did not hear anything back from the Archdiocese for months. Finally, they said that they had received our application and there was an interested person, but they would not say more than that. Later, after waiting now for almost a whole year, they did add that the “interested person” wanted to interview us but was very busy until February. Little did we know that it was Mike McCaskey, representing the Bears Care Foundation. Meanwhile, he was doing his homework, even coming to Mass at Saint Thomas. Finally we had the official interviews and by late Spring we had an official patron.
The Bears, through their Bears Care Foundation, began with a substantial contribution to the school of $300,000 when Mike McCaskey and Bears linebacker Lance Briggs came to the school in early June for the presentation. The Bears, though, have become more than a financial patron and have become involved in many ways, both with the school and the parish. In August the Bears sent a bus to pick up any parishioners who wanted to watch the Bears practice at their training camp in Bourbonnais, Illinois—with lunch included. They then invited the principal and me to their first home game (but I was out of town) and two other home games. During a break at the Vikings game I attended they showed a short video of June’s awards ceremony. Currently they are sponsoring an essay contest with the students, and the top essayists will receive autographed Bears helmets. This summer they will host a sports training camp for the students.
They are also working with the principal in sponsoring a recruitment and development program for Saint Thomas the Apostle School with the School of Education and the School of Business at the University of Chicago. Six MBA students have just begun this project. Through this connection, the University is also working to improve our science and our computer labs.
Not only are we excited to have this highly beneficial relationship with our patron, but the Bears seem to be excited about it too. For example, I hear that Mike McCaskey ‘talks up’ Saint Thomas the Apostle School at meetings and is encouraging others to get involved too. Meanwhile, a large Chicago Bears flag that flew over Soldier Field just arrived in the mail. Now where to hang it? |
