CHICAGO - For the second straight year, the Chicago Fire will head to the Chicago Southland to host its annual Winter FireFest, with this year's event being held on Saturday, Feb. 26 from 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. CT at the Holiday Inn Select & Convention Center Hotel - Tinley Park, located at 18501 S. Harlem Ave. in Tinley Park, IL. As part of its community outreach effort, the Fire will also host a Health Fair in conjunction with the Winter FireFest event. Admission to FireFest and the Health Fair will be free, while donations to the FireWorks for Kids Foundation - the charitable arm of the Chicago Fire - will be accepted at the door.
"The opportunity to bring this event back to our fans is very exciting," said Fire Director of Community Relations and FireWorks for Kids Foundation CEO Donald Ortale. "The Chicago Fire Winter FireFest promises to be fun, well attended, action-packed and very interactive. We are very proud to be partnered with the Tinley Park Convention Center and the Holiday Inn Select of Tinley Park on this event."
The 2005 Winter FireFest will feature interactive games, food, music, a raffle featuring Fire prizes and an autograph session that will offer Fire fans the first chance to meet many of the players on the club's new-look roster in 2005. In addition to a yet to be determined number of players, the entire Fire coaching staff, led by Head Coach Dave Sarachan, will be available for autograph and question-and-answer sessions at the event. Fire President and GM Peter Wilt will also be in attendance to answer questions about the upcoming 2005 season and the ongoing Bridgeview Stadium project, which is set to open in the spring of 2006. Information on how fans can secure their seats for MLS and other soccer events during the Fire's last season at historic Soldier Field will also be available. Players in attendance at the event will be made public in the upcoming weeks.
The Fire will also welcome the public for a free Health Fair during FireFest. All visitors will be able to meet with local health care professionals for free medical screenings while also receiving information on ways to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Information on specific organizations participating in the FireFest Health Fair will be released at a later date.
After hosting FireFest in Bridgeview last February, the Fire will make its return to the Chicago Southland with this year's edition of the fan gathering in Tinley Park at one of Chicagoland's fastest growing and popular convention and banquet sites. With its location in the heart of the Chicago Southland, the Holiday Inn Select & Convention Center Hotel - Tinley Park can accommodate groups and functions from 10 to 4000 people, while its 40,000 square feet of exhibit, convention and banquet space offers diversity in handling events from the largest of trade and consumer shows to the most intimate social events and weddings. For more information on and directions to the Holiday Inn Select & Convention Center Hotel - Tinley Park, please visit www.tphicc.com.
For updates on the schedule of events for the 2005 Winter FireFest and Health Fair, visit www.Chicago-Fire.com.
