Tenth Annual Teddy Bear Touchdown

10th Annual Teddy Bear Touchdown Success!

Joliet- On a great night at St. Joseph Hospital in Joliet, the Joliet Buccaneers players and coaches came out to give the kids that were there some holiday cheer. The Buccaneers Organization has been doing their annual visit to the local hospital to spread holiday cheer to all the boys and girls for the last 10 years. “This is my first year doing this said Offensive Captain and O-Linemen Chris Zeleny. This is a great thing that the organization/team does, and I enjoyed every minute of it, I just wish I hadn’t lost my Santa Beard somewhere in the house, but I still have my Santa suit said Zeleny with a laugh. Sandra Geib-Ingram the team’s General Manager and CEO of the organization created this event many years ago, with the thought of giving back to the community over the holiday season. “We missed this year’s Light-Up the Holidays Parade, but we weren’t going to miss this event”, said Geib-Ingram

The Buccaneers started their evening off in the lobby of the hospital, prior to going up stairs taking pictures with patients and workers leaving the hospital for the evening. One picture that players and coaches took was well meaningful to one mom, as she was there with her daughter, who was bullied at school and had attempted to take her own life. The players gave mom a big huge hug and took pictures with her and gave mom some inspirational teddy-bears; and saying to mom that she would be in their thoughts and prayers for this holiday season. “You see this is the number one reason, why we’re here, and the reason why we do this to give back to the community said Team President and Head Coach Michael Ingram. We do this because, this time of the year people tend to forget what the meaning of Christmas is all about, says Ingram.

The players and rest of the coaches went all around the pediatric floor and met a couple of kids that were there and excited to see them, handing out teddy bears and talking with the kids and parents. “Man, I’ve done this so many times with the team, that it never amazes me how the kids and parents faces look after they get a teddy bear from the guys said Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator Garland Robinson. Doing this as a player is one thing, but as a coach I see more of the what this truly means for the kids and their parents says Robinson. The players traveled downstairs to the pediatric triage unit and met with more kids and families in the hospital. The on-staff nurses were so gracious, and we left them with the extra bears that we had said Veteran Cornerback # 17 Shaq Williams. I’ve done this a couple times and I truly love this event, said Williams

As the players left the triage ward, they left this night again with a lot of laughter, happiness, and hope for the next day. As one nurse put it to the guys before they left, “THIS MEANS MORE THAN YOU KNOW GUYS”. That’s why we’ll always continue to do this and be a part of this wonderful community says Geib-Ingram.

If you want to know more about the Joliet Buccaneers Adult Amateur Football Organization, please visit us on the web at jolietbuccaneers.com or facebook and twitter call 815. 302. 8700