Linebacker Casey Matthews and tight end Ed Dickson met with MDA Buddy Izzy last Friday.
After last Friday’s football scrimmage at Autzen Stadium several athletes and coaches spent time with children with muscular dystrophy. MDA District Director Joe Boyd e-mailed me today about the experience, saying, “The kids really had a great time and the players were extremely accommodating. Good to know that we have a group of young men who care about the community and the people who look up to them.”
I didn’t get to spend any time talking with the children or the athletes about it on Friday on my way out, but I did see a couple ear-to-ear grins from children who flanked Oregon head coach Chip Kelly. Kelly, too, had a big smile with the children.
The event was for the fourth annual MDA Buddy Day, which is a precursor to the Mike Bellotti Dinner Auction and Golf Classic on May 9 at the Club at Autzen and May 11 at Eugene Country Club. I can’t really say it as well as Joe did in his e-mail to me.
The MDA Mike Bellotti Dinner Auction and Golf Classic, now in its 16th year, started as a way to help Bryan Campbell, son of UO running backs coach Gary Campbell, who has a rare muscular disorder. It has since grown to help fund MDA Clinic at Sacred Heart Medical Center at Riverbend, assist with the purchase of durable medical equipment such as wheelchairs and leg braces, provide for a monthly support group, and fund a research grant at the University of Oregon.
The MDA Mike Bellotti Dinner Auction and Golf Classic is also directly responsible for the creation of an MDA Summer Camp in Lane Co. designed specifically for kids with limited mobility. All of the MDA Buddy Day participants plan on attending MDA Summer Camp in July.
Anyone who wants to help with MDA can call or write at call 686-2753 or visit www.bellottigolf.org. Seems like a pretty cool thing for the kids, and the players looked like they were having a really good time, as well.
Per Boyd's e-mail, MDA Buddies Jeffrey and Izzy meet with running back LaGarrette Blount last Friday as part of MDA Buddy day. The four children then ate with the players, took a tour of the Casanova Center and got autographed T-shirts.
what a wonderful thing these football players did. I know the one child Izzy and he was so excited about seeing his favorite team. Thanks for planting the seed of life for these young children.