The Adventures of Steely McBeam

If you don't know Steely McBeam is the mascot for the Pittsburgh Steelers. If you don't know the Pittsburgh Steelers you have probably been living under a rock for several years or in Cleveland and choose not to give them a second thought. But this blog is a place to set all partisanship and rivalries aside and play ball for kids.

Although I often tell stories about the Performing Arts Academy I think it is important to recognize the breadth of Urban Impact and all of its programs. As some of you may know Urban Impact primarily started out as a youth Basketball outreach and soon encompassed all major sports. From this growth a relationship with the Steelers was forged and a football clinic was born. Over the years the football clinic has grown and evolved into something really quite spectacular. A task force of Urban Impact-ites with the help of a local high school football team transform Oliver high school's field into a magnificent a NFL training camp. (Of course as the theatre guy they asked me to set up the stage and help put table skirts on the community group tables. Sadly the putting on the table skirts proved to be quite difficult for Principal Rick and me.)

After all the set up and hot dogs and hamburgers were thrown on the grill, the fun really began. Soon kids of all ages flooded the registration booths and poured into the stadium playing warm up games ranging from Steelers flash card trivia to push up competitions. This was all fine and dandy but what was really great was the emergence of none other than Steely McBeam. This was great for me because I was appointed as Steely's bodyguard and right hand man. I also got to be his interpreter because despite having a rather large mouth Steely is mute. For the most part this required me to walk along side him saying, in an excited and surfer-esque tone, "Hey everybody look it's Steely McBeam! Show Steely some Steeler love." And then loads of kids would mob him while he high fived them and beat them off with his foam steel beam. The latter sometimes required my assistance. Then Steely McBeam almost passed out, so we stopped challenging kids to push up competitions and he guzzled down three water bottle in a matter of seconds. Apparently you sweat a whole lot when you are in 80 degree weather wrapped in layers of black and gold padding.

All of this was tons and tons of fun. The little kids ran the drills laughing while some of the older students ran the drills with intensity that matched the Steelers players running along side them. With all of this in mind the most amazing part came at the end of the night. Several of the Steelers stepped up on the stage and told hundreds of north side kids how despite winning several Super Bowls the biggest moment in their lives came when they accepted Christ into their hearts. How despite all of their strength and all their money they still need help and God is the only one who answers and fill their hearts.

I may be a Cleveland fan, but I thank God for those Steelers.... and Steely McBeam.

Prayer and Praise Requests:

• For "Tuesday Nights", our summer youth program will start June 16th
• Urban Impact Summer Day Camp starts this week
• Please pray for our graduating kids
• That I will not spread myself to thin
• My Grandma
• Support Raising

Thank you all. It means a lot to me.