Many fans of the Minnesota Vikings surely recall their heyday in the early 1970s, when Chuck Foreman regularly came out of the backfield to catch passes and put moves on defenders.

This week, Foreman is coming to Albert Lea. And fans are invited to catch an autograph or a photograph of him and some of his former teammates.

As part of a fund-raising campaign for the Children’s Miracle Network, Foreman will appear at Wal-Mart in Albert Lea tonight and Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Vikings merchandise will be available for purchase, or fans can bring their own items to be autographed.

It’s the third consecutive year Foreman and other former Vikings have appeared at the local Wal-Mart on behalf of the Children’s Miracle Network, according to Carol Farmer, an assistant manager at the store. Farmer said other players to appear in the past include Joey Browner, Ted Brown, Dave Osborn and Rufus Bess.

A first-round draft choice of the Vikings, Foreman was a consensus choice as the National Football Conference rookie of the year in 1973, when he rushed for 801 yards on 182 attempts and caught 37 passes for 362 yards.

In 1975, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Foreman came close to leading the NFC in receptions and rushing yardage. He caught 73 passes to lead the conference and finished just 6 yards behind Jim Otis of the St. Louis Cardinals in rushing. Foreman’s 22 touchdowns tied Gale Sayers’ former record, but O. J. Simpson scored 23 that season to break it.

Foreman was named NFC player of the year by The Sporting News in 1974 and by United Press International in 1976. He was named to the All-Pro Team in 1975 and 1976 and played in five consecutive Pro Bowls, 1973 through 1977.

For his career, Foreman rushed for 5,950 yards and 53 touchdowns in 1,556 carries, averaging 3.8 yards per attempt, and caught 350 passes for 3,156 yards, a 9.0 average, and 23 touchdowns. He still holds the team record for most yards rushing in one game, with 200 against Eagles in 1976.

The Children’s Miracle Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping children by raising funds and awareness for children’s hospitals across North America. Each year these non-profit hospitals care for millions of children with diseases, injuries and birth defects of every kind.

Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, Children’s Miracle Network has grown dramatically since its founding in 1983, from a televised fund raiser in a small studio to one of the world’s leading children’s charities.