Spring Break
OSU football players visit kids at Shriner's Hospital for Children
Motivated by player Mitchel Hunt, football team heads
Rebecca Johnson
Issue date: 1/20/09 Section: News
Six members of the OSU football team took time away from Corvallis to visit patients at the Shriner's Hospital for Children in Portland on Saturday.
Team members Will Darkins, Mitchel Hunt, Justin Kahut, Castro Masaniai, Sioeli Nau and Marcus Perry brought smiles to the patients and families with their visit.
The players chatted with everyone they visited including the parents and staff members who were around. They also signed OSU football T-shirts and gave them out to everybody who asked - even to the children who were not able to see them that day.
Christina Paggetti, volunteer and events coordinator for the hospital, was very pleased the players decided to come. She said while it does not happen often, it is always a treat to have a sports team visit the hospital.
"It's just so boring to be in a hospital for a kid," Paggetti said.
The players had some fun in the recreation area playing ping-pong with one patient and cars with another.
They later went to the room of one young man who was unable to get out of bed due to a condition in his leg, and the players spoke with him about topics ranging from music to sports.
"It's awesome; he has been very down lately," said Sue Wood, the patient's mother.
While the young man said he does not watch a lot of football, he is an avid hockey fan and enjoyed giving some of the football players a lesson on the sport.
Tasha Hines is the mother of a small boy who was all smiles and energy, especially when he spotted the players.
"This means a lot to him; this is amazing. He's been coming here since he was a baby," Hines said on the players' visit. "To have the team come means a lot to me and the other parents."
Another young man befriended the team and was able to follow them around for their visit, talking and joking with the players the whole time.
Hunt was the one who came up with the idea for the visit a couple of weeks ago. He explained that whenever the team traveled to a bowl game, certain members of the team would visit a hospital. He said he had not been chosen yet to go on one of those visits, so he decided to take matters into his own hands.
Team members Will Darkins, Mitchel Hunt, Justin Kahut, Castro Masaniai, Sioeli Nau and Marcus Perry brought smiles to the patients and families with their visit.
The players chatted with everyone they visited including the parents and staff members who were around. They also signed OSU football T-shirts and gave them out to everybody who asked - even to the children who were not able to see them that day.
Christina Paggetti, volunteer and events coordinator for the hospital, was very pleased the players decided to come. She said while it does not happen often, it is always a treat to have a sports team visit the hospital.
"It's just so boring to be in a hospital for a kid," Paggetti said.
The players had some fun in the recreation area playing ping-pong with one patient and cars with another.
They later went to the room of one young man who was unable to get out of bed due to a condition in his leg, and the players spoke with him about topics ranging from music to sports.
"It's awesome; he has been very down lately," said Sue Wood, the patient's mother.
While the young man said he does not watch a lot of football, he is an avid hockey fan and enjoyed giving some of the football players a lesson on the sport.
Tasha Hines is the mother of a small boy who was all smiles and energy, especially when he spotted the players.
"This means a lot to him; this is amazing. He's been coming here since he was a baby," Hines said on the players' visit. "To have the team come means a lot to me and the other parents."
Another young man befriended the team and was able to follow them around for their visit, talking and joking with the players the whole time.
Hunt was the one who came up with the idea for the visit a couple of weeks ago. He explained that whenever the team traveled to a bowl game, certain members of the team would visit a hospital. He said he had not been chosen yet to go on one of those visits, so he decided to take matters into his own hands.
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