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On the evening of Monday, March 25, 2024, the Branding Iron hosted a large crowd for the 17th annual Preston Area Community Foundation dinner and auction.
Board member Alison Leathers welcomed the crowd, with Pastor Kris Kincaid giving the invocation. Leathers presented the “year in review” with Sheila Craig sharing information on behalf of the Preston Historical Society.
The guest speaker was Chuck Foreman, former Minnesota Vikings full back from 1973 to 1979 before signing on with the New England Patriots in 1980 prior to retirement. He was one of the few Vikings to play in three Super Bowls over the course of his career. He amassed 5,950 rushing yards and rushing 53 touchdowns, along with 3,156 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns. His best year was in 1975 when he scored 22 rushing and receiving touchdowns combined.
He was a popular guest speaker with lines of people bringing jerseys, posters, footballs and other Vikings memorabilia for him to sign. And, he welcomed all of his fans with pleasantly crafted signatures and custom messages per request.
As a side note, while Foreman was able to take a break from autographs, I had the chance to ask him about his life before, during and after football.
He grew up in a strict Catholic household in Frederick, Md. “At the dinner table, you could always speak your mind,” he said.
While football is tough on the body, he has always maintained discipline. Even at the age of 73, Foreman follows a strict daily routine. He eats healthy, especially important as a diabetic. And, he works out every day. He does between 500 and 1,000 sit-ups each day, usually sets of 100 broken up throughout the day. He also rides a stationary bike during the winter months and he rides his bike outside whenever the weather is nice. He also lifts weights. Chuck Foreman wasn’t your average running back in the ‘70s, and he’s still not your average running back in his 70s.
He has four children; two daughters and two sons. One of his sons, Jay Foreman, went on to play as a linebacker in the NFL from 1999 to 2006. Chuck is proud of all of his children.
During his candid conversation with crowd, he shared stories about where he came from and the importance of community support. He commended the Preston Area Community Foundation for doing good things for young people in the area. He talked about how we may not realize the impact we are having on a person’s life until much later.
Foreman shared stories about his childhood, his college years in Miami, and how he ended up in Minnesota. He also talked about his early years in the NFL, and how inspiring it was to play alongside amazing talent.
The person he respects and commends the most is former Minnesota Vikings player and now retired Minnesota State Supreme Court Judge Alan Page. “He was a quiet leader. He set the example. He taught us how to handle ourselves like professionals. How to carry yourself like a professional,” shared Foreman.
Chuck talked about how he doesn’t understand how players today will celebrate in the end zone after they score a touchdown, when he looks up at the score and notices they are down by 27 points. He doesn’t care for the “showboating.”
He certainly entertained the crowd with his stories and got a lot of laughs.
Along with a great speaker, the PACF drew a generous crowd. The silent auction yielded $4,628. The live auction tallied $3,225. There was a total of $1,154 in table donations, along with another $1,070 in other donations. Total donations came to $10,077 with a $5,038.50 match from F&M Community Bank, presenting a grand total of $15,115.50 for the event.
The PACF raised $23,050 for Give To the Max Day and $13,942 for the 16th annual PACF dinner and auction for a total of $36,992 in 2023.
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