Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Hospital visits inspire patients, players alike

Above: A young patient at Children's Medical Center - Dallas learns some dance moves from a Missouri player. (Photo by Melissa Macatee/CBAA)

   Teams visiting local children's hospitals is an annual tradition of the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic. And every year, the players seem to get more out of it than the kids.
   “The biggest thing is reaching out to these kids,” Oklahoma State linebacker Caleb Lavey said. “Being on a football team, some of us are pretty big guys and the kids can be a little bit intimidated. But going up to them and doing or saying something to make them smile is a great feeling. Talking to them about football, what they want to do, how they’re doing, what their dreams are – we just try to do whatever we can do to cheer them up and help them have a good time.”
   Oklahoma State visited Texas Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas on Tuesday afternoon. Missouri stopped by Children's Medical Center - Dallas on Monday.  
   “It’s amazing – anytime you give back to the community, especially to young kids, that’s something we’re really big on,” said OSU quarterback Clint Chelf. “All the players are excited about coming here and meeting people that might be less fortunate than us. We have to recognize and put into perspective what these people have been through. Giving back to them is something we’re all really excited about.”



 Above: Oklahoma State players interact with the young patients at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas on Tuesday. (Photos: Melissa Macatee/CBAA)




No comments:

Post a Comment