'Beautiful Day' for community-focused Saint Viator coach

It was a "Beautiful Day" Wednesday for Saint Viator High School educator and coach Mike Taylor, whose years of dedication to his students, players and community were rewarded when he was presented with tickets to see the rock band U2, during a surprise school assembly held in his honor at the Arlington Heights school.

Taylor was recognized in front nearly 1,000 cheering students, teachers and coaches as part of the "Making A Difference On AND Off The Field" campaign presented by Buddy's HELPERS and the PepsiCo Showdown.

Taylor has led efforts to help local women's and children's shelters, made major equipment donations to Chicago Public Schools programs, and directed large-scale drives to collect uniforms and shoes that former students delivered on mission trips to Africa.

Taylor, a native of Zimbabwe, recounted how when he was 9 years old his parents took in two children from the local orphanage to give them the advantages their own children had.

"I've tried to raise my own kids like that, to give to others," Taylor said. "And that's the mission of Saint Viator, to do community service."

As a boys and girls soccer coach for the past 36 years, Taylor has won more than 600 career games, two state championships and 11 overall top four finishes. He's also led students on trips to Europe nine times, giving them the opportunity to see the world.

"Soccer is my life, but it's more than about soccer," Taylor said. "It's an avenue to teach kids, to uplift people. Everyone needs to pay it forward just a little bit."