Robert Buckley was attached to two featured walk-on roles as Bears Care and Hallmark turned Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story into a fundraiser. Carrie May-Borich and Phillip Salamone won the auction over the summer, then spent July 17 filming at Halas Hall.
May-Borich and Salamone began around noon, went to trailers for hair and makeup, and later filmed the opening stretch of the gala scene. Ben Johnson and Cole Kmet were there too, giving the day the feel of a controlled set visit rather than a loose fan meet-and-greet.
July 17 at Halas Hall
Salamone brought his father, Phil, and called the day “truly a blessing.” He also said, “Having the opportunity to be part of the movie, experience everything firsthand and meet Coach Johnson was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I'll never forget.” May-Borich brought her best friend, Sheri Pickens, and said, “I had no idea what to expect,” then added, “It was a surprise” and “And it was a really good surprise.”
The scene they filmed mimics the Bears Care Gala, the annual event the Bears typically host at Soldier Field. Samantha DiPippo said, “The end result is woven throughout the story, including a scene at the Bears Care Gala, where we were thrilled to be able to feature walk-on roles for the Bears Care auction winners.”
Bears Care and Hallmark
Marge Hamm said, “It has been a wonderful experience to work with everyone from Hallmark these past few months.” She also said, “The opportunities they provided that gave Bears Care the chance to auction behind-the-scenes, once-in-a-lifetime experiences to our fans raised significant dollars for the charity, which will make a huge impact serving our community this holiday season.”
The auction offered a rare fan experience, but the source does not say how much was raised or how the two winners were chosen. What it does make clear is that the proceeds went directly to Bears Care, giving the film a fundraising function as well as a production one.
Soldier Field Gala Scene
DiPippo said, “It was important to us to find a way to showcase in the film the incredible impact that Bears Care has made all over Chicagoland.” She also said, “Creating community engagement combined with our iconic holiday magic is the perfect script for how Hallmark and the Bears are true partners.”
That is the real takeaway here: the auction did more than sell access. It folded fans into a scene built around Bears Care and sent the money to a charity that supports people who are less fortunate, those who battle cancer or those who need a helping hand to reach their full potential.
