Born and raised on Chicago’s South Side and having spent nearly
his entire professional career playing for the Chicago Bears, Chris Zorich has formed The
Christopher Zorich Foundation (CZF) to help those in need by fostering a sense of
community caring which crosses all religious, racial, and economic boundaries.
For Zorich, 1991 was a year of ups and downs. That year he graduated from the
University of Notre Dame and was selected in the National Football
League draft by the
Chicago Bears. However, those accomplishments were overshadowed by the untimely passing of
his mother, Zora. Two years later, he formed the Foundation in her honor.
Annually, CZF endorses several programs, each with different purposes. As a memorial to
his mother, Chris provides financial assistance to Chicago-area students through the Zora
Zorich Scholarship at Notre Dame, Lewis University in Romeoville, Ill., and Chicago
Vocational Career Academy, Zorich’s high school alma mater. With each quarterback
sack and tackle for the Fighting Irish defense, Zorich donates $97 to the scholarship,
ninety-seven being his number with the Bears. Among the other contributions by the
Foundation are the Care to Share Family Food Program which delivers food to families twice
a year; Love Grows Here, inspired by his mother, which gives gifts like flowers,
cosmetics, and personal care items to women; Chris Zorich and Friends, which allows Chris
to act as a male role model to children by taking them to sporting events, the ballet, and
other activities beyond their means and circumstances; and the "School Is Cool"
program, for which Chris speaks to students about his accomplishments despite numerous
obstacles. Supporting more than 70 charities, organizations, residential homes and
shelters across the country, Zorich has made do-gooding a personal lifestyle.
