SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — The newest member of the Schaumburg Boomers family, Coop the Boomer, was introduced to the world in front an assembly of fans at his official unveiling ceremony at the Community Recreation Center in Schaumburg Thursday afternoon.

Coop met his fans for the first time, signing autographs and posing for pictures, after being introduced by Boomers President/GM Andy Viano. Coop, Viano and the rest of the Boomers front office staff also led the crowd in the all-new Booming Dance, which was adapted from the actual “Booming Dance” of the male greater prairie chicken in the wild and will be a fixture at the Boomers home games in 2012 and beyond.

“We’re so happy to have Coop as part of our family and as the official face of the Boomers,” Viano said. “It’s exciting to see Coop officially spread his wings for the first time and I look forward to seeing him all over Chicagoland in the next few months and at every Boomers game starting May 25.”

The Boomers are now accepting requests for Coop appearances at community events, birthday parties, festivals, school events and more. Those interested in booking Coop should check out the “Book Coop” page located under the “Fanzone” heading at www.boomersbaseball.com.

Coop is a male Greater Prairie Chicken, which can be found, as their name suggests, on the prairies throughout the Midwest. Prevalent in Schaumburg within the last 100 years, prairie chickens are now listed as “Threatened” on the Illinois Endangered Species Protection Board. Today, prairie chickens like Coop are generally found in Missouri, Iowa, Illinois and the Dakotas when once there was approximately 5-12 million in Illinois alone during the Abraham Lincoln era.

The male Greater Prairie Chicken is renowned for furiously defending its booming grounds and a special booming dance during mating season. The “Booming Dance” takes place every morning and afternoon from February-April as the males compete for prime real estate in the middle of the Booming Grounds. Booming has a social function in the prairie chicken society as the Booming Grounds are the place to be seen and heard as the males try to assert their dominance over one another.

The Schaumburg Boomers first home game will be Friday, May 25th when Chicagoland’s newest professional sports franchise take on the Florence Freedom at 6:30 p.m. The first Opening Day in franchise history will also feature the first time the Boomers brand-new state of the art scoreboard will be powered on. Season Tickets and Group Outings are on sale now by calling 847.461.3695 and check out www.boomersbaseball.com for more information.

THE ORIGINS OF COOP (Coop’s Backstory)

“Not so long ago, in the shadows of Mount Rushmore, a special Boomer was born. Hatched under George Washington’s nose, Coop lived with his family in one of the last remaining havens for the Greater Prairie Chicken. 

A descendant of one of the last prairie chicken communities to leave the Schaumburg area, Coop always longed to return to the land of his ancestors. He longed for excitement, and to be able to return to the booming grounds he had heard so much about. 

As a young bird, Coop practiced his booming dance constantly. He yearned for the day he could inflate his majestic orange neck sacks, and display his dance for the world to see.

When he wasn’t practicing his dance moves, Coop loved to watch the millions of children visiting his Mount Rushmore home. He enjoyed their enthusiasm, their excitement, and most of all…their baseball caps. Coop studied the different caps and logos people wore, becoming an expert in baseball through the tutelage of his friend Teddy Roosevelt. 

In between dance sessions one afternoon, Coop made a startling discovery…a family of tourists wore his face on their hats and sweatshirts! Coop was staratled, and wondered what it could mean.  

With a little research, and some help from Mr. Washington, Abe, Teddy, and Tom, Coop discovered a baseball team named the Boomers, and they played out of Schaumburg, Illinois! 

Coop knew it was fate, and he had to be a part of this team! With a little prodding from Mr. Washington, Coop set off to join this booming baseball team in the land of his ancestors. As a stowaway in the Boomers’ family luggage, Coop made his way to the Chicago suburbs. Coop found his new home…the Home of the Boomers. Coop was welcomed with open arms to be the official mascot of the Schaumburg Boomers, and can’t wait to meet all the new Boomers fans, show off his booming dance, and be a part of Boomer Country!”

GO BOOMERS!