More than two weeks after a tornado tore through Washington, Illinois, the community had some help cleaning up from the Chicago Bears.
Around a dozen Bears players and other members of the organization made several stops in Washington, Wednesday, December 4, 2013.
The players had lunch at Washington Community High School and met with the Washington Panther Football team.
They also stopped in the neighborhood home to Carol and John “Duke” Faklaris. Their house is now a pile of debris. The players helped sort through debris in the neighborhood.
“You don't understand the magnitude of what's going on until you drive through. You see piles of rubble that used to be houses, toys on the street and cars turned upside down. It's just crazy when you actually witness it,” said Chicago Bears Linebacker James Anderson.
“The big thing is to be able to see what happened here and to be able to help people smile,” said Chicago Bears Long Snapper Patrick Mannelly.
“It's just a matter of getting back on your feet and hopefully we can help out with that effort today,” said Bears Kicker Robbie Gould.
“We root for the Bears good days and bad days, so this is pretty cool,” said Mr. Faklaris.
The Bears players also stopped to help with American Red Cross efforts in Washington.