University of Georgia Athletics
Georgia Football Players Pay Visit To Atlanta Hospitals
November 24, 2007 | Football
ATLANTA When Georgia plays Georgia Tech on Saturday, Bulldogs safety Kelin Johnson will have a special young man on his mind.
During the Bulldogs’ visits to the Children’s Healthcare and Shepherd Spinal Center hospitals on Friday, Johnson met a teen patient in the intensive care unit who grabbed a place in his heart.
“This guy was lying down and hooked up to a breathing machine, but when he saw the G’ on my jacket, he sat straight up,” Johnson said. “That’s who we play for. They’re our motivation. I wanted my picture made with him because I know I will most definitely be thinking about him.”
Georgia’s affiliation with what was formerly known as Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital dates back to 1993 when the proceeds of the junior varsity game between Georgia and Georgia Tech benefited the hospital. In 1995 after the discontinuation of the JV game, Children’s Healthcare began presenting the Governor’s Cup to the winning varsity team.
“I think it’s great that Georgia and Georgia Tech have been so significant to the hospital,” Georgia kicker Andy Bailey said. “It really puts everything in perspective. It’s very humbling for all of us.”
The Bulldogs spent about 90 minutes at the hospitals, signing autographs and posing for photos. It was clear how significant their visit was to patients and parents alike, but it was also clear how it touched the Bulldogs.
“It means the world to us,” Georgia linebacker Darius Dewberry said. “We’re here to put smiles on the kids’ faces, but they put the smiles on our faces. They are the ones that make us happy. They are the real heroes.”
During the Bulldogs’ visits to the Children’s Healthcare and Shepherd Spinal Center hospitals on Friday, Johnson met a teen patient in the intensive care unit who grabbed a place in his heart.
“This guy was lying down and hooked up to a breathing machine, but when he saw the G’ on my jacket, he sat straight up,” Johnson said. “That’s who we play for. They’re our motivation. I wanted my picture made with him because I know I will most definitely be thinking about him.”
Georgia’s affiliation with what was formerly known as Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital dates back to 1993 when the proceeds of the junior varsity game between Georgia and Georgia Tech benefited the hospital. In 1995 after the discontinuation of the JV game, Children’s Healthcare began presenting the Governor’s Cup to the winning varsity team.
“I think it’s great that Georgia and Georgia Tech have been so significant to the hospital,” Georgia kicker Andy Bailey said. “It really puts everything in perspective. It’s very humbling for all of us.”
The Bulldogs spent about 90 minutes at the hospitals, signing autographs and posing for photos. It was clear how significant their visit was to patients and parents alike, but it was also clear how it touched the Bulldogs.
“It means the world to us,” Georgia linebacker Darius Dewberry said. “We’re here to put smiles on the kids’ faces, but they put the smiles on our faces. They are the ones that make us happy. They are the real heroes.”
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