Schools

Chicago Bears Visit Northbrook Junior High

Bears tight end Steve Maneri and Chairmen George McCaskey were in Northbrook on Tuesday, congratulating students for a American Diabetes Association fundraiser.

Chicago Bears tight end Steve Maneri and Bears Chairman George McCaskey visited Northbrook Junior High on Tuesday to congratulate the school for raising more than $7,600 for the American Diabetes Association. 

Maneri high fived students during their lunch period, talking about the Bears and signing autographs. 

"Tuesdays are the day we give back, it's our only day off," Maneri said.

The 6'7" player was surrounded by students as he walked through the school's cafeteria, but says the conversation remained pretty casual with the kids.

"It didn't get too deep," he said of the questions students asked him. "It's mostly 'how tall are you?'"

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The school's principal, Scott Meek, says this is the first professional athlete to visit NBJH during his seven years at the school.

"It makes for an extremely exciting day for the students," Meek said. "It reinforces that when you do good things for other people, sometimes good things come back."

This is not McCaskey's first visit to Northbrook. He attended Collin Wehr's funeral earlier this year and has been in touch with NBJH student and diabetes educator Jared Kuper since the two met at the Pro Bowl a couple years ago. 

"It's not just me, it's the entire Bears organization," McCaskey said. "Chicago and the surrounding area has been good to the Bears for 100 plus years now. Any time we can give back and pitch in, we're happy to."

The money was raised during the "Punt, Pass, Kick" program spring of the 2012-2013 school year. 

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