You only turn 20 once, and the Chicago Fire Soccer Club did that in style on Sunday, October 8, the 146th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire and the 20th anniversary of the club's founding in 1997.
The celebration got underway early for a select group of club greats, who convened Saturday night to catch up and swap old stories:
As the sun rose on the official 20-year anniversary of the club's founding, messages began to roll in from fans and former players at home and overseas to mark two decades since the start of something very special.
From there, attention shifted to the celebration months in the making, the special Fire 20th Anniversary party organized by members of Section 8 Chicago and other passionate fans of the club. The group worked diligently to invite and host a star-studded gathering of Fire greats from on and off the field, who joined a large group of current Fire players and leadership in celebrating with fans of all ages at the Chicago Cultural Center.