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University of Minnesota Athletics
Bowl Blog: Gophers Spread Smiles to HopeKids
12/28/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
The University of Minnesota football team put smiles on the faces of many children and their families Sunday afternoon in Phoenix. The Golden Gophers held an outing with the HopeKids chapter of Phoenix at Castles n Coasters amusement park.
HopeKids is an organization which provides events, activities and unique support for children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. The Gophers have been working with HopeKids in Minneapolis for a number of years now. This was the second straight year they have held an event like this with the Phoenix group here at the Insight Bowl.
For the players, to be able to give back to the community and give these children a day of fun is priceless.
"I'm having a great time. It's just a blast," quarterback Adam Weber said. "(The kids) are having so much fun. It's nice to get away from practice a little bit, go on some rides and meet some really cool people."
"It's nice to come out and be with some of these kids that I guess you would say aren't as fortunate as a lot of us," fullback Jon Hoese said. "It means a lot to us, too, to be able to be out here and spend the day with them."
It should be noted that Hoese and Weber both had their faces painted at the amusement park at the request of Jose, who is the HopeKid who was spending the day with Weber. To see Hoese's cat-man make-up and Weber's red dragon, click the video above.
A special bond can be created at these sorts of events. At last year's HopeKids day at Castles and Coasters, Gopher punter Blake Haudan and defensive tackle Brandon Kirksey had such a great time with their HopeKids that contact information was exchanged at the end of the day. For much of the last year, Haudan and Kirksey have been in touch with their HopeKids and they were able to work out a reunion this year.
"We hit it off last year," Kirksey said of his relationship with his HopeKid, Christiano. "We had a lot of fun. We exchanged numbers at the end, kinda kept in touch. When we got here, I hit him up and asked him was he coming to the event. I made sure that we partnered up this year and we're going to have some more fun this year."
Christiano's wasn't 100 percent sure the Gophers were a college football team. But when he learned they were a college team, he decided Minnesota was his favorite college team. He didn't want to betray his allegiance to the NFL's Arizona Cardinals. But he was 100 percent certain who his favorite football player is.
"Him," Christiano said, pointing to Kirksey while munching on some beef jerkey he had reached in and grabbed out of the 6-2, 295-pound defensive lineman's pocket.
There were more great times had this year and more great relationships forged. It was an event that neither the HopeKids or the Gophers will soon forget.
"It's pretty great," said a beaming Jette, who was spending the day with linebacker Simoni Lawrence. "He's funny and he likes to go on every roller coaster that I like to go on."
It was hard to tell who enjoyed the other's company more, Simoni or Jette.
"It's so fun, especially when you get partnered up with somebody so fun like Jette," Lawrence said with a laugh and a huge smile. "This is the best part (of the bowl trip). It's fun just to come out and help whenever we can."
Following their experience with the HopeKids Sunday afternoon, the Golden Gophers were back on the practice field Monday morning. They worked out for a little more than an hour and a half in blustery conditions at Desert Mountain High School. Minnesota will have one more workout at Desert Mountain on Tuesday. The Gophers will then have a walk-through at Sun Devil Stadium Wednesday as their final preparation for Thursday's Insight Bowl game vs. Iowa State.
-Andy Seeley
