Players' trip reinforces Shrine cause
Michael Yardley wasn’t sure of what to expect, but it turned out to be better than he thought it would be.
Yardley and his South teammates for the Shrine Bowl football game traveled to Chicago on Wednesday to visit patients at the Shriners Children’s Hospital.
“When you first see the kids, you’re not sure how to act, but after a couple of minutes, you realize they just act like kids,” said Yardley, a Lincoln East graduate headed to Nebraska-Omaha on a football scholarship. “We complain about the heat for practice and stuff like that, but this puts the game in perspective. You see why we play the game.”
Proceeds of Saturday’s 50th annual Shrine Bowl go to the Shriners Children’s Hospitals, which provide free medical care.
“The kids’ attitudes were great. They weren’t depressed or whining about their situation,” said Sam Meginnis, also of Lincoln East. “Most of the kids would come right out and say what had happened to them. They (hospital staff) told us not to start that conversation because you never know what it will trigger.
“But the kids were just amazing. It makes playing in this game a lot more meaningful to know how we’re helping. And it makes it easier to go out and practice these last couple of days.”
Meginnis said he also wasn’t sure what to expect from the trip.
“It was cool. I’d never been to a children’s hospital. They make it bright and fun for the kids,” he said. “There were only about five patients for us to talk to, so with 34 guys, we got a few minutes with them, but not a lot of one-on-one time.”
Adam Field of Palmyra was one of the lucky ones to spend time with a patient.
“I hung out with Caitlin the whole time. She’s almost 3 years old and a quadriplegic,” he said. “She came out strapped to a wheelchair and I just walked up and introduced myself.
“Toward the end of our time there, we were playing with building blocks and she’d knock them down, smile and say ‘fall down.’ We kind of connected.”
Like his teammates, Field was surprised at what he saw in the hospital.
“The facilities are a lot nicer than what I thought they would be. They have everything geared toward children,” he said. “It doesn’t seem like a hospital.”
Bob Fuller, the head coach from Plattsmouth, said the trip helped give the players something tangible to grasp.
“It was exciting and the kids enjoyed it,” he said. “I know the mission of what we’re playing for was definitely sent home.”
Reach Ryly Jane Hambleton at 473-7314 or rhambleton@journalstar.com.
Yardley and his South teammates for the Shrine Bowl football game traveled to Chicago on Wednesday to visit patients at the Shriners Children’s Hospital.
“When you first see the kids, you’re not sure how to act, but after a couple of minutes, you realize they just act like kids,” said Yardley, a Lincoln East graduate headed to Nebraska-Omaha on a football scholarship. “We complain about the heat for practice and stuff like that, but this puts the game in perspective. You see why we play the game.”
Proceeds of Saturday’s 50th annual Shrine Bowl go to the Shriners Children’s Hospitals, which provide free medical care.
“The kids’ attitudes were great. They weren’t depressed or whining about their situation,” said Sam Meginnis, also of Lincoln East. “Most of the kids would come right out and say what had happened to them. They (hospital staff) told us not to start that conversation because you never know what it will trigger.
“But the kids were just amazing. It makes playing in this game a lot more meaningful to know how we’re helping. And it makes it easier to go out and practice these last couple of days.”
Meginnis said he also wasn’t sure what to expect from the trip.
“It was cool. I’d never been to a children’s hospital. They make it bright and fun for the kids,” he said. “There were only about five patients for us to talk to, so with 34 guys, we got a few minutes with them, but not a lot of one-on-one time.”
Adam Field of Palmyra was one of the lucky ones to spend time with a patient.
“I hung out with Caitlin the whole time. She’s almost 3 years old and a quadriplegic,” he said. “She came out strapped to a wheelchair and I just walked up and introduced myself.
“Toward the end of our time there, we were playing with building blocks and she’d knock them down, smile and say ‘fall down.’ We kind of connected.”
Like his teammates, Field was surprised at what he saw in the hospital.
“The facilities are a lot nicer than what I thought they would be. They have everything geared toward children,” he said. “It doesn’t seem like a hospital.”
Bob Fuller, the head coach from Plattsmouth, said the trip helped give the players something tangible to grasp.
“It was exciting and the kids enjoyed it,” he said. “I know the mission of what we’re playing for was definitely sent home.”
Reach Ryly Jane Hambleton at 473-7314 or rhambleton@journalstar.com.
Copyright © 2002-2008 Lincoln Journal Star. All rights reserved.