ELKMONT, Ala. (WHNT) — When the whistle blows on a Friday night under the lights, high school football players get ready to compete for 60 mins. But on Friday in Elkmont, the Red Devils will honor those facing a bigger fight.
Fans will find the team wearing pink jerseys instead of their normal red and white, and the names on the back of their jerseys won’t be their own.
From mothers to grandmothers to uncles and more, the team is taking this week’s game to honor people in their life who have been affected by cancer.
“Every player picks a person that they want to honor, so it could be someone who’s currently battling cancer or someone who has battled cancer,” Elkmont Head Football Coach Joel Schrenk said.
Senior defensive end Cade Hawkins is heading into the match-up with one name on his mind.
“Jessie Bradford…she was a student here a few years ago that passed away from childhood cancer,” said Hawkins.
He said Bradford passed right before heading into the 9th grade. This Friday, he will walk out onto the field with her twin sister.
Schrenk said football is centered around competition, but he’s also trying to teach his team life lessons that go beyond the football field.
“It’s bigger than me, and it’s bigger than my team,” he said. “It’s my community. It’s the big picture, and that’s what we want the boys to understand.”
He and the team will be raising money for St. Jude throughout the week as well.
Last year they raised just a little over $8,000, and this year they hope to make it to $10,000.
They are raising money by selling t-shirts, in addition to a silent auction. If you want to donate, Coach Schrenk said you should reach out to Elkmont High School.
If you are interested in the silent auction items, you can find them on the Elkmont football Facebook page. Once you are accepted onto the Facebook page, you can see the silent auction items.
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