Chicago Bears award High School All-Star Award to local football who started grocery pick up service

CHICAGO (CBS)– The Chicago Bears are recognizing nine high school football players throughout Illinois who are making  positive impacts on their communities.

They are winners of the High School All-Star Awards.

Mason Morris was nominated by his coach at Nokomis High School, about 200 miles south of Chicago. It’s considered a food desert, where grocery stores are hard to come by.

Morris started a grocery pick-up service to help his neighbors who lived without a nearby grocery store. 

“A lot of people were complaining about it and it was around COVID time, so I figured why not drive to Taylorville or Litchfield or Hillsboro or Pena and bring people some groceries,” He said. 

And with that, a business was born.

Morris is a personal shopper for neighbors who need groceries.

“They usually send me a Facebook message or they’ll go to my page and I’ll try to fit them on the schedule,” He said. 

Morris then shops for groceries and delivers them. Sometimes he even helps put them away!

“Right now, I have around three regulars and there are a lot of people who just want a one-time thing if they’re really busy,” Morris said. “There are a lot of really nice people and I’ve become very close to them and I feel I can count on them for more than my business.”

His dedication to football and to his friends helped mason win the Bears’ award and all that goes with it, including money to give to others.

“I get to go the Bears draft party and bring three friends and my backpack came with four hats and four masks, a bears backpack really nice,” Morris said. “The $500 is a non-profit charitable donation and I chose my town’s food pantry.”

It’s clear Morris is a team player.

In business, his mom tTsha is helping him be a winner.

“She helped me with Facebook, she helped me with my schedule what days I’m going where, times, stuff like that,” Morris said. 

His mom said Morris has always been a great kid.

“He’s pretty incredible,” She said. “He’s an old soul. He is a person who looks you in the eye and shakes your hand as a man. He has a lot of connections just because of his personality.”

Morris wants to expand his business and even get some of his friends involved.

He told CBS 2 aside from his mom, he’s really grateful to his coaches and his team-mates.