University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers To Host Second-Annual Allianz HopeDay Festival, Sept. 7
9/5/2008 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
University of Minnesota coaches, student-athletes and administration will host the second-annual Allianz HopeDay Festival, Sunday, Sept., 7 at the Bierman Track from noon to 4 p.m. Over 200 families from the HopeKids organization will be present along with over 700 student-athletes from Minnesota will participate in the event. A majority of the Gopher coaches and athletics director Joel Maturi will also be present. The event is designed specifically for the Golden Gopher family and members of the HopeKids organization.
The festival will include sporting clinics from all 25 Gopher sports and student-athletes, including a dunk tank by the swim teams and obstacle course with the men’s and women’s track and field teams. Along with student-athletes participating in events, Star Wars characters, Sesame Street characters, pony rides, a petting zoo, a rock-climbing wall and tattoo artists will also be available.
HopeKids is an organization which gives hope to children with cancer and other critical illnesses and their families, via a program of ongoing, highly anticipated events. Founded in September 2001 by Robert R. Cottrell in Phoenix, Ariz., it has recently branched out to chapters in Dallas/Fort Worth and Minneapolis/St. Paul in November of 2006. The Phoenix chapter serves more than 250 children, while the Minneapolis/St. Paul chapter has already surpassed 100 kids and their families. A large percentage of the children in the program have already had their one large wish from an organization such as Make-A-Wish, but their battle continues. Approximately 87 percent of the children in the program have some form of cancer and in Phoenix approximately seven percent have Cystic Fibrosis. HopeKids also serves children with critical illnesses including kidney disease, heart disease, sickle cell and bleeding disorders. HopeKids is for children between the ages of zero to 18, with the majority of children being between the ages of five and 14.
