The eighth annual First Responders Bowl took place on Saturday afternoon, as teams from the Chicago Police and Fire Departments hit the gridiron for an emotional contest at a local high school.
This year’s edition of the game was a bit more somber than previous years, as the teams honored Chicago Police Commander Paul Bauer, who was killed in the line of duty in February, and Firefighter Juan Bucio, who died during a rescue dive on the Chicago River earlier this week.
“It’s a heavy situation,” firefighter Dan Klauke said. “In both professions, not everyone makes it home every day.”
The annual game raises money to help the families of first responders, and fans gave generously to help make the event a success.
“Just knowing that we’re out there playing for these two individuals, especially for that cause, it really made this game a very special one,” Police Sergeant David Moore said. “It put a lot of emotional ties along with everything we put on the field.”
