Advocate Health Care, Chicago Bears and Bears Care to honor breast cancer survivors at Real Bears Fans Wear Pink Game

Breast cancer survivors will be recognized during pregame and in-game events and an Advocate doctor will participate in the coin presentation

 

Advocate Health Care, Chicago Bears and Bears Care to honor breast cancer survivors at Real Bears Fans Wear Pink Game
Breast cancer survivors will be recognized during pregame and in-game events and an Advocate doctor will participate in the coin presentation

Ten breast cancer survivors, their family members and doctors from across Illinois will be honored Sunday at the Real Bears Fans Wear Pink game at Soldier Field, as Advocate Health Care, the Chicago Bears and Bears Care (the team’s charitable arm) raise awareness of the disease. The patients will participate in several pregame and in-game experiences and an Advocate physician will take part in the coin presentation before kickoff between the Bears and the Detroit Lions.

All breast cancer survivors attending the game have completed treatment, are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and have received care team approval to attend the game.

Among the attendees will be Kristie Johnson of Chicago, who received successful treatment at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Ill., for an aggressive form of breast cancer that changes the appearance and texture of the skin. Kristie underwent eight rounds of chemotherapy, 30 radiation treatments and a mastectomy. Other honorees will be Jeanetta Edwards, who never stopped working and even started a doctoral degree program while she received treatments, and Laura Welker, who was surprised by Bears alumnus Jerry Azumah last year after undergoing a double mastectomy.

The breast cancer survivors will be recognized in front of the crowd on the field before the game and be featured in several in-game activities throughout the afternoon.

Special pink rally towels will be distributed to 40,000 fans and the Bears’ mascot, Staley Da Bear, will sport a Real Bears Fans Wear Pink T-shirt.

The honors for the breast cancer survivors and their physicians are designed to spotlight a disease that will affect one in eight women during their lifetime. More women are surviving breast cancer than ever before thanks to newer methods for early detection, diagnosis and treatment. But the COVID-19 pandemic has meant many women have delayed their routine mammograms and have waited longer than usual for testing.


 Advocate Health Care’s no-referral screening mammograms and online scheduling make setting up an appointment simple and easy.


Real Bears Fans Wear Pink T-shirts also are available for all fans to purchase for $30 each. Proceeds benefit Bears Care and help fund local programs which provide care, assistance and support services to breast cancer patients and their families, including helping facilitate timely access to critical breast health services for low-income women. Over the last 13 years, the shirt campaign has raised nearly $1.4 million to support breast cancer patients and their families.

Women can learn more about breast cancer screenings and schedule a mammogram by visiting aah.org/breasthealth..

In addition to the breast cancer awareness events, Advocate Health Care is again offering free gameday walk-up COVID-19 vaccinations. The vaccines will be administered outside Soldier Field in the Miller Lite Fan Zone. Game tickets are not required to receive the vaccine.

WHEN: Sunday, October 3, 2021

WHERE: Soldier Field, 1410 Museum Campus Drive

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