Connie Payton shared a friendly hug Friday morning with former Bear Mike Pyle as part of an effort to get 5,000 footballs, baseballs and soccer balls to needy kids through a foundation established by her husband, Walter Payton.
The ailing Bears Hall of Famer, who suffers from a serious liver disease and is awaiting a transplant, had been scheduled to attend the opening of the Galyan’s Trading Co. sporting goods store in Lombard, but his wife had to substitute.
“The nature of Walter’s illness is that he has good days and he has bad days,” Connie Payton said. “Unfortunately, today is one of the bad days.”
So she joined Pyle, former Bears Brian Baschnagel and Emery Moorhead, Lombard Mayor Bill Mueller, Blackhawks Assistant to the General Manager Steve Williams and store officials to kick off the “Hand-off to Walter” program at the Galyan’s stores in Schaumburg and Lombard. The balls will be donated to Chicago-area youngsters through the Hoffman Estates-based Walter Payton Foundation.
In accepting the store’s $20,000 pledge to match each donated ball with a second ball, Nike’s contribution of $5,000, and the Smartwool Co.’s $25,000 donation of socks, Connie Payton said the foundation’s 1999 goal is to provide 55,000 needy kids with sporting goods and clothing. More than 40,000 children received equipment last year.
“Sometimes I don’t know how we are going to manage to do more each year; then we receive help like this from caring people and somehow it happens,” she said.
She noted the same response has heartened her husband as he battles primary sclerosing cholangitis.
“Right now, in your prayers is the best place for Walter,” she told the crowd. “I know this will be over and he will be fine; but right now, please keep him there . . . in your prayers.”
For further information on the Walter Payton Foundation, call 847-645-0091.
