The Comic Vault Helps Chicago Bears’ Lance Briggs Give the Gift of Comics
On the field, Chicago Bears linebacker Lance Briggs is known as a perpetrator of offense-rattling hits that have earned him trips to five of the NFL’s Pro Bowls and helped his team reach Super Bowl XLI in 2007. Off the field, he’s a man on a charitable mission, actively helping underprivileged youth with his foundation, Briggs4Kidz. But one thing many people might not have known about the superstar player until recently is that he’s also an avid comic book fan.
On Saturday, December 11, 2010, Briggs used his celebrity, brought his passion for comics and helping the needy together, and teamed with Chicago, IL’s The Comic Vault at 1530 W. Montrose Ave. to host Lance’s Comic Book Day, an in-store promotion that marked the culmination of a two month-long, city-wide comic book drive.
In addition to collecting donated comics, Lance’s Comic Book Day gave The Comic Vault visitors the opportunity to meet the NFL player as well as local comic book creators while enjoying games and celebrating comics. All comics collected as part of this drive will be donated to the Chicago Housing Authority and to the USO, which will circulate the books to unprivileged children in the Chicago area and to those serving their country overseas.
This charitable cause and Briggs’ interest in comics resulted in Lance’s Comic Book Day and The Comic Vault receiving both national and local media coverage.
ESPN:
Chicago’s FOX News:
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| Art Courtesy of The Comic Vault |
‘Comic books are a big part of a lot of people’s childhoods,’ Briggs told Chicago’s ABC 7, ‘Comics are often the first thing that a kid will read voluntarily. I want more people and children to experience this incredible pass time. I also hope that for those who will receive the donated comic books that it will bring a smile to their face.’
Following a successful Lance’s Comic Book Day, on Monday, December 13, Briggs and The Comic Vault hosted a holiday cocktail party at 42 N Latitude Kitchen and Cocktails. Guests enjoyed food and drinks with Briggs, watched Monday Night Football, were entered into a raffle, and had the opportunity to participate in a silent auction. The proceeds for the party were used to benefit Lance’s 3rd Annual Chicago Football Camp.
“We collected over 10,000 comic books, plus Archaia donated 3000 pounds of trades on two skids,” said Matthew Sardo, owner of The Comic Vault. “Then [Monday], we raised over $10,000 to support Lance Briggs' Youth Football camps. The mission statement of the Comic Vault is – ‘The Comic Vault is more than a store, it's a community.’ I have a great job that gives me a chance to give back to the community. Each year I try to raise the bar; I'm not sure how I'm going to top this next year.”
Congratulations to The Comic Vault on their innovative promotion that is sure to put comic books into the hands of eager readers this holiday season.
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