Last night two rivals came together for a cause. The Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers united to help raise money for Hurricane Katrina victims. Well, not exactly the Bears and the Packers, but two people close to the heart of both teams – Brett Favre’s mother, Bonita Favre, and Walter Payton’s wife, Connie Payton.

The two women had a book signing at the Illini Union Bookstore to promote their new books. But a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Katrina victims. So far, $35,000 has been raised.

Favre, a resident of Mississippi, feels the pain of her fellow southerners.

“No one realizes the total devastation unless you’ve seen it,” she said.

Favre was home when Katrina hit. She had six feet of water in her home; she says the clean up will take years. Entire cities were destroyed, she said.

“It’ll probably take a whole five, six years to finish the clean up,” she said.

Giving to Katrina victims is just one way this book tour is special. Pairing two rival teams also makes it unique. But both respective parties are happy with the tour.

“It was a nice way to team the two books together,” Payton said.

The two women were strangers until they met the first day of the tour, but act as if they’ve been friends forever.

Favre, who met Payton just Monday, said she was just like an old friend.

“It was like I’d known her my whole life,” she said.

Favre also thinks the pairing of the two books is a good idea because rivalries should never be taken too seriously.

“Rivalry is fun as long as you have fun with it,” she said.

Both women’s books, though from rival teams, have a lot in common. In Favre’s book, she, her son Brett and Brett’s wife Deanna all collaborated. Payton collaborated with her son Jarrett and her daughter Brittney.

For Payton the collaboration with family was an important part of her book.

“My son really wanted to do this and that was motivation enough for me,” she said.

Favre felt her book showed a different side of Brett. It’s a lot more personal, she said. There are stories about Brett as a child and many family memories. Favre’s favorite chapter is on the game Brett played the day after his dad died.

“It was like divine intervention in that game,” she said.

For Payton the fans were also an important part of her book. It was written for them.

“It was a nice book to give back to the fans. We wouldn’t know what to do without them,” she said.

“Just the love and support they’ve shown through the whole ordeal, they were great,” Payton added.

The book tour is just another way to do that, give back to the fans. And they appreciate it. Despite the cold and the wind, the fans turned out last night. At six o’clock, when the signing began, there was a line to the back of the store.

Fannie Davis, assistant director for General Books at Illini Union Bookstore, said the store was very pleased after the publishers approached them about hosting a book signing.

“We love to do sports authors. This campus and sports authors seem to go together,” she said.

“Both teams have great traditions and both players are such legends, so we were happy to have them,” she added.