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Football players help raise more
than $1,800 for Ryan's Place
HELP FOR THE PARK: A USU football player, holding helmet,
asks for a donation Thursday at the Spectrum. At right,
Ryan's sister helps out. / Photo by Mikaylie Kartchner
By Mikaylie Kartchner
March 2, 2007 | Members of the USU football team wandered
around the Spectrum on Thursday night with their helmets
held out, trying to gather money for Ryan's Place. With
a little help from other volunteers, they raised more
than $1,800.
It was an event designed to help people "get
energized" about the project said head coach Brent
Guy. The football players, decked out in their jerseys,
stood by every doorway and walked along the concourse
during the first half of the Aggie basketball game with
Nevada, asking people to donate.
"Any small thing we can do to raise funds and awareness,"
Guy said. "We want to make people aware that this thing
in happening in the community."
Ryan's Place is a memorial park dedicated to the memory
of Ryan Adams, a 2-year-old from River Heights who drowned
in Lake Powell last August. The park was designed by
an associate of Leathers & Associates, a company specializing
in the playground design, with the help of students
from River Heights Elementary.
The park is a one-of-a kind, and will be built entirely
by volunteers and funded strictly by the community.
The goal is to raise $150, 000, the amount required
to build the park. Craig Adams, Ryan's father, said
with the money earned Thursday, they are almost halfway
there. He said he was grateful the football team wanted
to get involved.
"They called us," Adams said. "That shows how great
the football team is when they call us. These guys are
great."
Guy said the team doesn't do a lot of fundraisers,
but he was glad they were able to get involved in such
a good cause.
The fundraiser was the first of several events planned
by the park committee to raise funds and gather volunteers.
On April 28, there is a Celebration Centre Family Day
planned to raise funds. Also on May 7, the Pauni family,
recipients of the a new home from ABC's Extreme
Makeover: Home Edition, will perform cultural dances
and cook an island meal.
The Ryan's Place committee is also trying to reach
out to local businesses for donations, by encouraging
them to participate in "Green Fridays," a day where
employees can wear their green Ryan's Place T-shirts
to work. "Green Fridays" will occur until the end of
April.
There are also opportunities for individual community
members to donate by purchasing fence pickets, pavers,
or memorial stones that will be placed in the park.
For more information on these events or to donate
or volunteer, visit the Ryan's Park Web site: www.ryansplacepark.com.
Design of Ryan's Place.
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