Toys for Tots: Bears’ QB Sid Luckman Saves Christmas for Chicago Kids With $25,000 Donation

Christmas for thousands of kids in the Chicagoland area has been saved by an unlikely source. Sid Luckman, the Chicago Bears quarterback during the 1940s, has donated $25,000 to Toys for Tots after an alleged theft left organizers unable to buy toys for needy Chicago kids.

Of course, Sid Luckman has been dead for more than a decade. The Chicago Tribune reports that a man brought in a $25,000 check to Toys for Tots today but the man wished to stay anonymous. Instead, he told Toys for Tots Chicagoland treasurer Janet Malpede that the gift was to be in memory of Sid Luckman.

Malpede said:

“We are thrilled. It lets you know that what you’ve been working toward all year is worthwhile.”

No charges have been filed in the theft yet but police believe that a volunteer stole $25,000 from the charity last Spring. News of the embezzlement broke this week, and according to Malpede, the phone has been ringing over the hook.

“This (theft) has been hard on everyone. But it makes you feel good to know that there are good people out there.”

Malpede says that on top of Sid Luckman’s generous donation, she has received several cash and toy donations from people around the city. One person donated $1000 in toys through Target.

According to the Tribune, the theft came at the worst possible time as Churches, families, and other organizations have requested nearly twice as many toys this year compared to 2010.

According to NFL Films, Sid Luckman was the first man to throw for over 400 yards in a game and the first to throw 7 touchdowns in a game, a record that still stands. He still holds several Bears’ passing records and now, he’s saved Christmas.