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Seven
former Chicago Bears from the Coach Mike Ditka era shuffled into
Kankakee the other night to play a basketball game against the
Kankakee City Police to benefit a local organization.
The beneficiary was the Kankakee Community Development
Corporation (KCDC), which maintains the Community Resource Center.
The KCDC’s mission is to enable the people of Kankakee County to
improve their lives by providing social, economic, educational, and
recreational opportunities, with special emphasis on housing, job
training, personal development, improved health and crime
prevention.
The brainchild for the basketball fundraiser was KCDC board
member Cary Turner of Play It Again Sports in Bourbonnais. If his
motivation was strictly to raise funds and awareness for the
Community Resource Center or if it was to see former professional
football players pound a few cops, it is yet to be determined.
However, some fellow board members liked the idea and formed a
committee. Reminiscent of this entire community’s outpouring during
the 1999 Amtrak tragedy, individuals and businesses jumped on
board. Just as the call for help was answered during the train
disaster, people from all over the county came forward again.
Both hospitals gave support, the three newspapers gave
much-needed coverage, and both radio stations heavily promoted the
event. Businesses gave goods and made financial donations. Then
came the volunteers.
After Mr. Turner finalized arrangements with the Bears players
and set up the location, something must have hit a soft spot in his
heart. He didn’t want the cops to suffer too much, so he suggested
a buffer squad to take some of the beating. From that sympathy came
the Executive Team who would play the second quarter of the game
while the cops iced their knees and heads.
The Executive Team was made up of courageous representatives
from some of the generous business sponsors of the event. Not only
were they to give physical relief to the cop team, they provided
much comic relief to the crowd. They weren’t the Harlem
Globetrotters, but they held their own against the Bears. The
halftime score found the Bears leading by a mere seven points. It
could have been closer, but Phil Angelo didn’t bring his “A” game.
Seven points was not an insurmountable deficit for the cops to
overcome in the second half.
Pitting our city’s finest against a group of men that made a
living being physical seemed to be an unforgivable crime. However,
well rested after nearly 40 minutes, they used their police skills
and detected Bear-fatigue. They kept the game close until the end.
One more Chief Kinkade screen for a Larry Osenga jump shot or one
more David Skelly hook shot or a Jeffrey Sais steal or one more
Lonnie Netzel rebound or one more Matt Adamson free throw or Randy
Hartman diving for one more loose ball, and the final score might
have been different.
Then again, who remembers the score? It was a great game for a
great cause, played by a great group of men. The scoreboard may
have read: Bears 68, Cops 65, but the real winner was this
community.
Where was that Places Rated Almanac that said this was a
last place community? No place in America, or in the entire world,
could have put on a better showing of “community” than was displayed
here Tuesday night.
Long after the Bears shuffled back to Chicago and the Cops
rushed to physical therapy, there was Cary Turner, sweeping the
bleachers with a smile. He was proud.
To the Kankakee Police, Bears players, Executive Team,
volunteers, KCDC board members, all business and individual
supporters, and fans – be proud. Be very proud.
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