NORTH CHICAGO, Ill. – Bears rookie safety Al Afalava was probably a little envious when he saw North Chicago High School’s new state-of-the-art fitness center for the first time Tuesday.

“My high school weight room was a garage,” said the rookie sixth-round draft pick from Oregon State. “Hopefully one day I can go back and give them some new equipment.”

Bears rookie safety Al Afalava helps a North Chicago student in the school's new workout center Tuesday.

Needing new equipment is no longer an issue for North Chicago. Several months ago the school was selected as the 2009 recipient of the Bears/United Way “Hometown Huddle” project, resulting in the donation of the fitness room and athletic training facility.

Afalava joined 10 fellow rookies and veteran teammate Israel Idonije in helping to unveil the center on Tuesday. The room, which is available to all students and faculty, has been completely repainted and refurbished with brand new high-tech strength and cardio exercise machines.

“You look at the before and after pictures of what was done here by the people in the community, and it’s phenomenal,” Idonije said. “Life is all about opportunities, and making these young lives better is all about giving them opportunities to move in the right direction. The gym here and letting them know that people care is big.”

The financial support and equipment needed to renovate the workout center were provided by a $25,000 grant from NFL Charities and the Bears; an additional contribution from Bears Care, the charitable beneficiary of the Bears; a partnership with Life Fitness; support from Sports Health; and donations generated by United Way of Lake County.

The Bears, Life Fitness and the United Way of Lake County also established the 10-week “War Hawks Fitness Challenge” for students and faculty. The program encourages participants to commit to and engage in aerobic activity by providing daily recommended exercises and nutrition tips. 

Other Bears rookies who participated in Tuesday's event were Johan Asiata, Jahlil Bell, Jarron Gilbert, Juaquin Iglesias, Johnny Knox, Lance Louis, Henry Melton, D.J. Moore, DeAngelo Smith and Will Ta’ufo’ou.

Former Bears players Glen Kozlowski and James “Big Cat” Williams currently serve as North Chicago’s head football coach and defensive coordinator, respectively.

“It helps build confidence and it helps morale,” Kozlowski said of the new fitness center. “More than anything else, it makes our athletes, our student body and our community stronger.”

The “Hometown Huddle” is an NFL-wide day of service that provides players from all 32 teams the opportunity to take part in a variety of community service activities, such as building homes for low-income families, visiting local military bases and painting classrooms. 

The United Way/NFL partnership connects NFL Play 60 with United Way’s goal of 1.9 million more healthy young people by 2018. Designed to tackle childhood obesity, NFL Play 60 brings together the NFL’s long-standing commitment to health and fitness with partner organizations like United Way.

“The NFL Play 60 program is all about fitness and really the whole person: body, mind, soul and everything working together,” Idonije said. “But it all starts with being in shape and taking care of your body. Having this gym is a big part of that. And it’s not just for athletes; it’s for everybody.”

Roster move: The Bears on Tuesday continued to shuffle their practice squad, re-signing cornerback Woodny Turenne and terminating the contract of center Donovan Raiola.