Events Tue Oct 20 2009

Gale Sayers to be named Humanitarian of the Year

During his time as an NFL running back for the Chicago Bears (1965-1971), Gale Sayers broke records and collected numerous awards and achievements. Rookie of the Year (1965), All Star Game MVP (1967, 1968, 1970), to name a few. Now he can add one more achievement to the list: Humanitarian of the Year Award.

The Abraham Lincoln Centre (ALC) will honor Sayers for his outstanding commitment to helping children and youth. After he retired from football, Sayers founded Crest Computer Supply Company in 1984, and built it into a world-class provider of technology products. Sayers, along with his wife, also became an active philanthropist in Chicago. He supports the Cradle Foundation--an adoption organization in Evanston. More recently he founded the Gale Sayers Center in the neighborhood of Austin, which serves as an after-school program for children ages 8-12 from Chicago's west side and focuses on leadership, tutoring, and mentoring.

Gale Sayers has become a role model for children thanks to his successful NFL career, his professional achievements, and his work in the community. ALC believes his work greatly reflects its goals and commitment to provide promising futures for children and families in Chicago.

The Annual Dinner for Sayers will be held this Friday, October 23, at the Fairmont Hotel (200 N. Columbus Dr.)

— Vanessa Day / Comments (0)