Bears hold 12th annual Back to School Fair

[Staley Da Bear]

Former Bears star safety Gary Fencik returned to his old middle school in Zion Saturday morning to support an excellent cause.


Wearing his No. 45 Bears jersey, Fencik joined several volunteers at Zion Central Middle School as the Bears and Bears Care teamed up with PNC Bank and community partners to hold a drive-thru Back to School Fair.


Fencik attended Zion Central Middle School and spent his freshman year at Zion-Benton High School before moving to Barrington.


"I didn't even think about it until I got there," Fencik said. "But after I parked, I looked over at the field and realized, 'Oh my gosh, the first time I ever played organized football was on that field playing flag football.'"


As a kid, Fencik attended school and played basketball and football with current Zion mayor Billy McKinney, who played eight seasons in the NBA from 1978-86—including his final year with the Bulls—after starring at Northwestern.


"There are a lot of good memories for me [in Zion] and I'm really glad that the event went well," Fencik said. "But I think most importantly you realize just how needed these services are."