Holmes Students Return to Soldier Field
Holmes Junior High students took another step towards becoming gridiron legends on Sunday. The Chicago Bears welcomed students to participate in a flag football game during halftime at Soldier Field for the second straight year.
The opportunity was made possible by the NFL’s Fuel Up to Play 60 program, which has held a relationship with Holmes for more than a decade. On Sunday, 14 students, along with physical education teachers Tracy Hogan, Justin James, Mark Heimbuch, Jeff Tomaszewski, and retired athletic director Will Hogan got a special game day experience.
The students prepared for the festivities in their very own locker room before being walked through the tunnels at Soldier Field. They were escorted onto the field to watch pregame warmups and were able to interact with players from both the Bears and Jets, referees, and media as they greeted and took photos with students.
The game itself took place against various pro and college mascots from the Chicago area, including Staley the Bear, Clark the Cub, Benny the Bull, Southpaw of the White Sox, and LU Wolf of Loyola University.
From there, the students and staff caught the end of the 24-10 Bears win from the comfort of their locker room.
“The kids were so pumped,” Hogan said. “They were looking forward all day to their moment in the spotlight in front of a full-stadium crowd!
This is just one of several NFL opportunities that CCSD59 students have been offered over the years as more schools have begun to take part in the program.
The @HolmesJHS @NFLFLAG football team took on @TheRealStaley & his furry friends at halftime of the #NYJvsCHI game. pic.twitter.com/14XHvWlaTG
— Bears Outreach (@BearsOutreach) October 28, 2018