Thanks to the Chicago Bears, the NFF Chicago Metro Chapter Awards Ceremony will be at Halas Hall (1920 Football Drive, Lake Forest), which is rarely open to the public.  Thanks to a dollar-for-dollar match by Bears Care, $24,000 in college scholarships will be provided.  Details are provided below.

• Monday, February 20, 2012 (i.e., President's Day) from 3:30-6pm at Halas Hall (1920 Football Drive in Lake Forest). 
• College scholarships will be provided to Chicago area high school seniors that excel on the football field, in the classroom and in the community.  Scholarship recipients are nominated by their high school football coach each November.  The 2012 honorees are Luke Duffy (St. Edward Central Catholic), Max Kurucar (St. Rita of Cascia) and Jake Ziolkowski (Wauconda).
• The Chicago Bears Community Champion Award will be presented to three high school senior football players that have demonstrated excellence in their community and volunteer endeavors.  Jake Aleck (Lincoln-Way East), Robert Delaney (Loyola Academy) and Seamus Quilty (Carmel) will be honored.
• Big Ten Conference Commissioner Jim Delany will receive the Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football Award for his tremendous accomplishments.  In 2011, this Award was presented to Big Ten and BCS National Championship Game Referee Bill LeMonnier and the 2010 receipient was Frankfort Youth Football League Co-Founder and President Carl Allegretti.
• Saint Xavier University's football team won the 2011 NAIA National Championship, the Chicago area's first football national championship since 1913.  Cougars Head Coach Mike Feminis will speak on behalf of the team.
• The NFF Mental Toughness Award will be presented to Chandler Harnish (Northern Illinois University quarterback, to be introduced by NIU Head Coach Dave Doeren) and Dan Persa (Northwestern University quarterback, to be introduced by NU Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald).
• Fred Mitchell will present the 2011 Fred Mitchell Award to Tom Lynch from 2011 NAIA National Champions Saint Xavier University.  This Award is presented to the top FCS, Division II, Division III, NAIA or NJCAA place-kicker (750+ eligible kickers) based on performance on the football field and in the community.  
• Current and former NFL/college football players will attend.  Among prior year attendees were Chicago Bears President/CEO Ted Phillips, Green Bay Packers President Mark Murphy, Chicago Bears Head Coach Lovie Smith, Notre Dame Heisman Trophy winners Gary Beban (UCLA) and John Lattner (Notre Dame), Northwestern Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald, Northern Illinois Head Coach Dave Doeren, Illinois Head Coach Ron Zook, Minnesota Head Coach Jerry Kill, Illinois State Head Coach Brock Spack, retired Purdue Head Coach Joe Tiller, College Football Hall of Famers (Jim Covert, Steve McMichael, Tom Beck, Chris Zorich, Leroy Keyes, Pat Fitzgerald), Pro Football Hall of Famers (Marv Levy, Richard Dent, Dave Casper, Ted Hendricks), John Mackey Award winner Tim Stratton, Kyle Orton, Jarrett Payton, Dave Revsine, Howard Griffith, Tom Zbikowski, Brian Baschnagel, Bobby Douglass, Gary Fencik, Bob Thomas, Dan Jiggetts, Glen Kozlowski, Emery Moorehead and more.
• The cost includes a 1 year NFF Membership valued at $40 for each attendee.  Attendees that are already NFF Members will have their current membership extended by 1 year.  Proceeds are used to provide college scholarships at this event, with a match provided by a generous contribution from Bears Care.
• Space is limited to 100 people on a first-to-register basis.  If you register for more than one person, we will contact you via email to obtain the names of your guests.
• Only registered attendees will be permitted past the security guard booth at the entrance to Halas Hall.  There are no paper tickets to this event since the names of all registered attendees will be on the list at the security guard booth at Halas Hall.
• Business casual dress.  Soft drinks and a behind-the-scenes tour of Halas Hall will be provided.  All paid attendees are automatically eligible for door prizes - the 2011 Awards Ceremony door prizes included a Chicago Bears helmet signed by Julius Peppers, footballs signed by VIPs attending the Awards and more.

Please contact Chris Kearney (chriskearney@prodigy.net) or Wolfe Tone (wtone@deloitte.com) if you have any questions.  Specal thanks again to the Chicago Bears and Bears Care.  Hope you can join us!