Viking News

Here is some information HOT off the presses on the Minnesota Vikings web site. This is the newest information on our Vikings community programs. These are two very worthy community projects of the Minnesota Viking owners Zygi Wilf and the Wilf family, as well as Vikings Head Coach Brad Childress and players like Jim Kleinsasser and Marcus Johnson,.The Minnesota Vikings cheerleaders will also play a big role in these beneficial programs.

Information on the Vikings Children's Fund Will be posted when made available. The Vikings do take donations for the Children's fund all year round, and have fundraisers at the Metrodome during Viking games. Please read the information below and let me know if you think this is valuable to this site, or if you would rather see a link made available to the Viking web page for you to access this information there.

Thank you

Mike

Vikings In The Community:
Vikings owner Zygi Wilf, along with players Jim Kleinsasser and Marcus Johnson, and Vikings cheerleaders, gathered with youth athletes, community developers and city officials on Tuesday to celebrate a $200,000 investment into the refurbishment of Parade Stadium. After the award presentation, a youth skills competition took place at the fields alongside the Vikings players.Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board member Jon Gurban, president of the Minneapolis City Council Barb Johnson, Wilf and others addressed those in attendance.“Normally on a day like today I wouldn’t have a smile on my face,” Wilf said, referring to the Vikings loss on Monday night combined with the blistering cold conditions during the celebration at Parade Stadium. “But today I do have a smile because I’m proud of the class of our team, of our partnership with the city of Minneapolis and of the refurbishment of Parade Stadium.”Parade Stadium is a major community asset, serving many youth football and recreation programs in Minneapolis. The NFL’s Community Youth Football Field program is part of the NFL Charities Youth Football Fun, a multi-million dollar effort of the NFL and its individual franchises – such as the Minnesota Vikings – in partnership with the NFL Players Association to ensure youth across the country have the opportunity to enjoy the game of football. Project for Pride, represented by Steve Cramer and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, represented by Deanna Foster, are also teaming in the effort. “I learned from people in this neighborhood that Parade Stadium has a history that goes back to when the Vikings played an exhibition game here,” Wilf said after the celebration. “We’re very proud to join the NFL, the city of Minneapolis and the LISC to refurbish this field so this community and the surrounding area can enjoy the benefits of having such a wonderful facility that encourages youth activity.”With the Minneapolis skyline in the backdrop, Gurban orchestrated the celebration on a portable stage, with youth football players and others in attendance looking on.“This event is huge because we’re going to start recreating and refurbishing an athletic facility for our kids, and frankly I don’t think we have one right now,” Gurban said. “We’re back on the right road and this is a beautiful setting to start improvements. People like coming down to Parade Stadium and to have this facility cleaned up and looking nice will be a huge boost for the community and the entire city.” “It’s great having a partner like the Vikings to help these children have positive recreational opportunities because that is so important in their lives,” Johnson said. “To have the Vikings help support the mission of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is fantastic, we’re delighted to have them in our community.” After the check was presented on the stage, Wilf, the community developers and city officials were joined by the youth football players, Vikings players and cheerleaders in a ground-breaking ceremony. The cheerleaders remained after the ceremony to sign autographs while Wilf and other members of the Vikings organization visited briefly as the youth football players and Kleinsasser and Johnson went to the adjacent fields to participate in the skills competition.Remember that…On Sunday, November 12, before the Vikings-Packers game, the Vikings Women's Organization and Second Harvest Heartland Food Bank volunteers will be collecting non-perishable food from 10 a.m. until kick off.Other community newsSince 1997, Campbell’s and the NFL have partnered together through the Campbell’s Chunky/NFL Tackling Hunger™ program to help fight hunger in America by generating much needed food donations. As part of its ongoing commitment to tackle hunger in NFL communities, Campbell’s Chunky soup will once again conduct Click for Cans, our popular on-line food drive, on http://www.chunky.com/ from October 12th – November 16th. Fans across the country will be invited to click on the helmet of their favorite NFL team to cast their vote and help make a difference in their local community.The team that receives the most clicks will be crowned the Chunky Soup Click for Cans Champion and will receive a soup-er donation … their official roster’s total weight in Campbell’s Chunky soup for the local food bank of its choice. Campbell’s Chunky soup will also reward the team with the “Most Improved Clicks” as compared to last year with a donation of 2,006 cans to the local food bank of its choice.

Viking Football Clinics:
Over 150 youth coaches are expected to attend a youth football clinic that will be hosted by the Minnesota Vikings and USA Football at Winter Park on Saturday, April 21. The clinic’s aim is to prepare youth football coaches with the ability to teach the game of football and create a positive experience for their players, parents and assistant coaches.Top high school and youth coaches will be brought in by USA Football and Event Organizer Jim Taylor to teach coaches the best way to develop their team, organize their season, teach proper fundamentals by position, execute the best drills and implement a successful game plan. USA Football, with the Vikings consultation, will develop the day’s agenda.Possible topics of discussion and points of emphasis include developing a coaching philosophy, team/program management, understanding field position and positive motivation techniques. Clinicians will also conduct “chalk talk” sessions and go over strategies of attacking and implementing zone and man-to-man pass coverages as well as the basics of a 4-4 Defense, short yardage and goalline scenarios, and the Wing “T” formation, among other topics.USA Football’s youth coaching curriculum is designed specifically for youth coaches teaching the game to players between the ages of 7-14 and the clinics are administered in a particular manner to ensure quality standards are met. USA Football staff member Deno Campbell will review talking points with each clinician prior to the camp. The guest clinicians selected to appear have not yet been determined.Coaches in attendance will be provided a box lunch midway through the clinic and a current NFL player or coach will serve as the keynote speaker. The Winter Park indoor field house, where the Vikings practice, will be used for the clinic. Additional meeting rooms inside Winter Park will also be used.Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. and runs until the camp begins at 8:30 a.m. Cost is $50 for walk-ins and $30 for early registration. You can register online at usafootball.com or by calling the USA Football Coaching School at 1-877-5-FOOTBALL.