Israel Idonije has been a force on the Bears defense for several years now. He’s also been a force in the community with The Israel Idonije Foundation founded in 2007.
Today Idonije hosted his 7th annual All-Star Football and Cheerleading camp at the Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center on Chicago’s South Side.
The camp hosted 300 underprivileged kids from Chicago ranging from grades first through eighth.
Throughout the day the participants ran drills, learned football tactics, got advice from Idonije and enjoyed a few laughs with the defensive tackle. The free camp offered a day of fun for kids giving them the chance to connect with other socially and emotionally while they enjoyed learning new skills.
With Chicago’s crime being a major issue as of late, camps like this provide fun and a new source of enjoyment to kids in the city.
This is one of many things Idonije does for the community year round, providing new opportunities for the youth in the city. The camp has been successful ever since it was created and has served over 3,000 children in it’s history.
Sponsors of the camp included Gino’s East and Real Urban BBQ (who provided lunch to the participants), Wal-Mart, Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center, Pop-Chips, PepsiCo., CN Rail, ZICO Coconut Water and Bank of America.
You can visit The Israel Idonije Foundation here.
