BRIDGEVIEW, IL - The FireWorks for Kids Foundation (FWFK), the charitable arm of the Chicago Fire, announced today that U.S. Men's National Team Head Coach and former Fire Head Coach Bob Bradley will serve as the Keynote Speaker for the organization's 2007 Season Kickoff Luncheon on Tuesday, April 3. The luncheon will be held at the Hilton Chicago, located at 720 S. Michigan Ave. in downtown Chicago, beginning at 11:00 a.m. CT.
"I'm thrilled to be heading back to Chicago where my family and I spent so many great years with the Chicago Fire," said Bradley. "I have so many wonderful memories, particularly all the great support we received from the fans. I'm looking forward to getting the opportunity to see a lot of friendly faces, and to help contribute to the outstanding efforts of the FireWorks for Kids Foundation."
The 2007 Season Kickoff Luncheon, now in its ninth year, will provide Chicago soccer fans the first opportunity of the year to meet their favorite Fire players and coaches. The luncheon is one of two currently scheduled events in which all players are scheduled to be in attendance (as always, individual player appearances are tentative and subject to change). The event includes a reception followed by lunch and a short program, as well as the always popular silent auction, which will include Chicago Fire and other sports memorabilia, gift certificates, and much more.
"We are incredibly excited to welcome Bob Bradley back to Chicago," said Fire President & CEO John Guppy. "Bob was an instrumental part of the initial years of this team, helping to instill a winning tradition at the Fire. We're very pleased to see that he is starting off his tenure with the U.S. National Team in a similar fashion and look forward to welcoming him back as the Keynote Speaker at one of the biggest events of the year for our Foundation."
Bradley patrolled the Fire sideline from the team's inaugural season in 1998 until 2002, posting an impressive record of 82-54-15 during the franchise's first five years. The former Fire boss also led the "Men in Red" to three prestigious championship victories in that time: the 1998 MLS Cup and the 1998 and 2000 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cups. While with the Fire, Bradley's 84 victories made him the winningest coach in MLS history, a title he still holds today with 124 wins during an MLS career that spanned nine seasons, including stints with the MetroStars (2003-2005) and Chivas USA (2006).
Since accepting the head coaching position for the U.S. Men's National Team on an interim basis on Dec. 8, 2006, Bradley has led the USA to a pair of wins in his first two international friendlies at the helm of the "Red, White & Blue." On Jan. 20, Bradley notched his first win via a 3-1 victory against Denmark at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., the U.S.'s first-ever win over the Danes. His success continued with a 2-0 victory in a regional showdown against archrival Mexico on Feb. 7, at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. Bradley - who has also been named the head coach of the U.S. Under-23 (Olympic) squad on a full-time basis - and his U.S. MNT are set to take on Ecuador and Guatemala in exhibitions to be held in late March in Tampa Bay, Fla. and Frisco, Texas, respectively.
Tickets for this year's Season Kickoff Luncheon are $65, with tables of 10 priced at $550. As in the past, the first 20 full tables of ten purchased will get the opportunity to sit with a Chicago Fire player. All proceeds will benefit the FireWorks for Kids Foundation, which has helped the Chicago Fire contribute to the community through grants and charitable contributions since 1998. The FWFK mission is to promote recreational and educational opportunities for disadvantaged children throughout the Chicagoland area.
For more information on the 2007 Season Kickoff Luncheon, including how to purchase tickets for the event, please call the FWFK Foundation at 708-496-6740.
