Six months ago at the annual Bears Care Gala, Kyler Gordon discovered a local non-profit that he immediately felt drawn to.
That non-profit was Hope Chicago — a scholarship-focused organization designed to provide students and their parents/guardians with the support needed to graduate from college debt-free.
By being seated at the same table as co-founder Pete Kadens, Gordon went from simply learning of the organization's existence to becoming an avid supporter, so much so that the Bears nickel back is representing Hope Chicago as part of the NFL's My Cause My Cleats campaign.
"Pete and I talked and connected for a while — talked about our philosophies, how we see the world and what we want to change," Gordon said. "He introduced me to what Hope was and their vision. It just lined up with who I am and what I want to be about. To have the opportunity to be a part of it now, I feel blessed."
Gordon will wear his custom cleats in warmups during the Bears' contest in Detroit Thanksgiving Day alongside more than a dozen of his teammates, who are supporting a variety of causes and organizations.
The third-year pro's investment in Hope Chicago is a testament to both the non-profit's impactful work in the city and Gordon's desire to help the community that has welcomed him since he was drafted in 2022.
"Kyler's a great guy — just smart, cares about the broader community, committed to this city," Kadens said. "When I told him what we were doing at Hope, he could relate. These are kids just like him who, maybe they don't have his athletic ability, but they have some other ability, and he knew that they deserve to get educated and to learn just like he did. He found his way through football, but maybe they will find their way through playing a musical instrument or through academic performance or whatever."
Ahead of the My Cause My Cleats initiative, Gordon helped Bears Care — the organization's charitable arm — make a surprise donation to Hope Chicago at their fundraising event, "Hopecoming," last Tuesday at The Salt Shed in the West Town neighborhood.
Gordon first helped auction off an exclusive Bears gameday package that featured a secondary version of his custom Hope Chicago cleats.
Gordon's biggest contribution of the evening came during the paddle raise portion, where attendees can pledge donations of any amount to the organization. The first to raise his paddle once the floor opened, Gordon proudly announced a $200,000 donation to Hope Chicago on behalf of Bears Care.
"It felt great," Gordon said, "especially knowing where the money is going — to be able to give almost a quarter million to kids for better schooling, no debt, going to college and not having to worry about the financial part, able to focus on the things they want in life. That's a beautiful thing to be able to give to the future."
The packed room erupted following Gordon's announcement and created an empowering moment for Hope Chicago CEO Dr. Janice Jackson.
"It's an honor to be recognized, period, for the work that we're doing, but to have an organization like the Bears supporting our work means a lot," Jackson said. "That meant a lot to me. It set the room on fire, so people were super excited about that. I think Kyler is just a great athlete and human being. He could really be doing anything, and this is what he cares about, and you could tell he wanted to be there.
"He's been out to our schools, been out to other schools in CPS. It just feels good that somebody who is really on top of the world right now and could be doing anything is spending his time giving back to children and people who look like him or come from similar backgrounds."
The Bears made an identical donation to Hope Chicago in 2023 and have continued to provide support in a number of ways, including player visits to their schools and bringing students to Halas Hall.
Much like the Bears, Gordon has been a constant supporter of Hope Chicago since learning about the organization. Prior to his attendance at Hopecoming and participation in My Cause My Cleats, Gordon has visited a couple of their schools and most recently spoke to college students at National Louis University.
From Hope's leadership group to their students, Gordon's involvement has been inspiring for the entire organization. Everyone associated with Hope Chicago is excited to see how its collaboration with Gordon continues to evolve.
"He's just like, 'hey, I wanna be out there. I wanna help people,'" Kadens added. "I find that magical. We got to remember that — and Kyler gets this — we all put our pants on the same way, one leg at a time. Doesn't matter if your title is Chicago Bear or CEO or just regular Chicago resident. We're all the same. We're all in this fight together to make Chicago a better city. Kyler — he's humble, and he understands that, and I completely appreciate that about him."
