Moon Township, Pa. - The Robert Morris University football team is partnering with the University's Office of Civic Engagement to hold multiple events in the upcoming weeks that will benefit Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC.
RMU football will host a blood drive Wednesday, April 10, to promote awareness of childhood cancers. The event will take play in the John Jay gymnasium from 11:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m.
For those individuals that are unable or would rather not donate blood, the Colonials will also be collecting new books and toys for the youngsters at Children's Hospital. Fans can donate the items at the blood drive April 10 or they can also bring them to the annual Spring Game. The Spring Game will take place Saturday, April 20, at 1:00 p.m. at Joe Walton Stadium.
A group of Colonial football student-athletes will then take the collected toys and books to Children's later this spring.
These events are the brainchild of current RMU football student-athlete, Tyler Potts (Aliquippa, Pa. / Geneva College). Potts was diagnosed with Acute lymphoblastic leukemia in his senior year of high school and was thus unable to participate in the Hopewell Area Vikings undefeated 2009 season. Due to his illness, Potts was not able to be recruited to play football, having felt that many colleges had looked elsewhere because of his situation. After receiving treatment, Potts wanted to prove he could still play football at the Division I level and transferred to Robert Morris after attending Geneva College.
Potts finished his chemo treatments this past October. He remains close with his doctors who treated him and is very excited that his team is able to help out the kids at Children's Hospital.
“I care a great deal about all of the kids that I have seen while I spent my time at the hospital,” Potts said. “I just want to be able to help people that are in this same situation I went through.”
Donations of toys and books can also be made on any weekday from now until the end of April in the Robert Morris football office on the second floor of Joe Walton Stadium.
Renowned for its outstanding clinical services, research programs and medical education, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC has helped establish the standards of excellence in pediatric care. From Ambulatory Care to Transplantation and Cardiac Care, talented and committed pediatric experts care for infants, children and adolescents who make more than 1,000,000 visits to Children's, its many neighborhood locations, and Children's Community Pediatrics practices each year.
