Building Men for Others: Taking on a Cause

In building men for others, one of the lessons I pass onto our players is to take on a cause. One of my favorite causes that I support is for Children's Rady Hospital here in San Diego. I see the work they do for sick children and the support they provide families. It is a cause that is near and dear to my heart.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Soon you will see players in the NFL and MLB start to wear pink gear to bring awareness and recognition to breast cancer.

I spoke to our players yesterday about National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We see the images of professional players wearing the pink gear. High School players want to emulate the pros by wearing pink also. But there is more to life than just imitating what the pros do on TV. I wanted to provoke some thought in our players on why it is important to recognize the cause. I spoke about the National Breast Cancer Foundation and what they are about.

I explained to the players that all of us know somebody that has suffered from cancer in one form or another. We all know Darren Shanks and his fight against cancer. But breast cancer awareness takes the center stage in the month of October.

Why should we support this cause? We want to bring awareness to breast cancer through education, support and provide fund raising for free mammograms. To save lives in early detection is the main goal of the NBCF.

So, the Patrick Henry Football Booster Club is sponsoring an essay contest. The theme of the essay is "How breast cancer has affected me, my family and the cancer victim I know." I spoke to the Varsity, JV and the Freshmen football teams about the essay contest and all players are eligible to participate. (Of course, with the work load of homework our players have already, the essay contest is not mandatory)

Essays are due to me on Friday 10/8/10. I will read and judge the essays and pick out the top 6 essays. Then I will meet with a panel of judges and pick out the top three essays and rate them 1st 2nd and 3rd.

Then at halftime of the Varsity game against St. Augustine on 10/15/10, we will recognize the players of the top three essays, the cancer victims/survivors and present them checks in the name of the victims/survivors to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

The first prize essay will receive $75 donation, second prize will be $50 donation and third prize will be $25 donation all going to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.