Gopher Football Team Spends The Day With Hope Kids
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – They come to work out with the Gopher football team, and that's a big deal.
"This day is amazing. My whole family's been looking forward to it. It's probably our favorite event of the year and it means a lot to my kids," Heather Brenden, the mother of one of the children, said.
"My son Tanner loves sports, and he plays in some sports and football's one of his favorites, and just seeing the players and connecting with them means the world to him."
These kids have something in common. They all have life-threatening conditions. That's why Hope Kids was established.
"It's really heartbreaking to see sometimes, but these kids persevere and they show a lot of toughness and they show a lot of joy when they come to our events," said Brian Anderson, director of Hope Kids.
That's why it becomes so special for both the kids and the football players.
"It means a lot. It's a humbling experience and to see a lot of familiar faces the past few years, it's great building relationships with these kids and it's fun to see them every year," said Mitch Leidner, the Gophers' starting quarterback.
"It's a humbling experience to come out here with these kids. Just to see the smile on their faces and see that they're having fun and that's the main thing we want to accomplish here on this day," said Damarius Travis, a Gophers defensive back.
The kids were allowed to ask questions.
"How do you perform around all these people without getting nervous?" asked one kid.
The answer?
"They just pretend that they're not there."
They also had some interesting observations after seeing the big football players.
"What do I eat to get this big?" Travis was asked. "I say they feed us good here."
More than anything, it's about a day that moves you away from what you deal with every day. For the kids and their parents.
"They are amazing. They're what makes it easy to handle the hard days, because we have days like this that make things feel wonderful," said Brenden.
"It means everything. These kids are the superstars today. The players are out here cheering them on and showing that they can do it. Seeing these kids' faces light up means the world, so that's what this event means," said Anderson.
It has an effect on the kids and the big kids.
"We have a lot of fun and there's nothing better than to see some smiles on these kids' faces today," said Leidner. "We give all we can this day. It's just fun, it's a great time for them and we just love it."
