Rapper Twista joins Chicago Bears players for a night with the kids
 photos by Steed Media Servce |
Chicago – The kids of the Cabrini Green Tutoring Program were in for a special treat last night as about 30 elementary school students got the chance to hang out with rapper Twista and Chicago Bears’ players Brandon Lloyd and Jason McKie. Taking part in the Life Skills program, students from first to sixth grade got the chance interact and play video games with their heroes.
The Cabrini Green Tutoring Program was founded with a mission to provide children from economically disadvantaged families with tutoring by volunteers. The program’s executive director Erin McPartlin said that all three of the celebrity guests came to her and asked to be a part of her team, which she said in turn gave the kids some valuable life lessons.
“Look; these are Chicago Bears. This is what they look like, and this is what they’re like in real life,” McPartlin says of what she hopes her kids would take away from their interaction. “This is Twista! You hear about these guys all of the time. [You want to know] what is he like in real life. How did he get there being a Midwestern guy? It’s just kind of nice to be able to have that grasp on reality.”
 photos by Steed Media Servce |
That reality was more prevalent than ever as kids gathered around television monitors to battle some of Chicago’s most notable names in PlayStation video game Rock Band and Nintento Wii. After taking a break from game controllers, Twista and his Get Money Gang took some time to address the importance of the night. “It was definitely important for us to come out and support this cause because it’s all about the kids,” Twista said. “Once you look beyond your life, the only thing to look at is the next generation.”
McKie shared the Chicago MC’s enthusiasm for being around the youth. “If you can just touch one kid, it is definitely something you want to be a part of,” he said. “Your little time with them can go a long way, and you can have a positive impact on their lives. [We] just want to show them that there is hope. They can be anything they want to be whether it’s President-elect Obama or if they want to play in the NFL.”
For Lloyd the night also took him back to the days of his youth as he stressed the fact that regardless of his prominence as a professional athlete, he and the kids share the same story. “We grew up just like these kids, and I think that’s just the most important thing for me,” he said. “I just want to get out as much as I can and show these kids you just don’t wake up and roll out of bed and decide you’re going to be a professional athlete.”
As the night came to close, McPartlin could only look on with joy and admiration as she watched the kids taking it all in. “[I’m happiest] just seeing the kids smile and seeing them have fun,” she said. “You know it’s hard because it’s [a school night]. They’ve still got homework to do and everything, but sometimes we put life skills in front of homework.” –gavin philip godfrey
