Spreading Our Wings

Atlanta Falcons players Michael Turner, Harry Douglas, Alex Stepanovich and Jason Rader attended a dinner on Wednesday, June 10 hosted by United Healthcare of Georgia and the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Georgia/Alabama for a local Make-A-Wish child named Jake Weaver.  The dinner hosted at Atlanta’s ESPN Zone, celebrated Jake and his family’s return from Jake’s wish, which was a vacation to the Virgin Islands.  The trip which was paid for by United Healthcare of Georgia and gave the family some much needed vacation time.

The players ate dinner with Jake and had the opportunity to play video games with him.

“Jake’s got a great attitude about him,” Michael Turner said.  “I’m glad we got an opportunity to come out here and spend some time with him and his family tonight.  He’s definitely got some skills on some of these video games.”

Jake has been battling bone cancer for the past couple of years.

kyla Appearance Alex Stepanovich, ESPN Zone, Harry Douglas, Jason Rader, Make A Wish, Michael Turner, United Healthcare of Georgia

With a gentle hand, running back Jerious Norwood cleaned a paint brush in a tin of water and went to apply a different color to a special art project. To his right, a girl from Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, tackling a watercolor image of a fish on a paper canvas.

Norwood and four of his Falcons teammates visited with 10 children from CHOA and their families at the Georgia Aquarium on April 8, interacting with some of their younger fans who have fought through challenges at area children’s hospitals. The group worked on fish-themed crafts for more than a half an hour before taking a behind-the-scenes tour of the facility.

Norwood, an avid angler, left his rod and line at home but looked on with interest as staff fed the four whale sharks at the Ocean Voyager exhibit.

“We get to spend some time today at the aquarium with some boys and girls experiencing a difficult time,” said linebacker Coy Wire, who joined Norwood, defensive end Chauncey Davis and running backs Michael Turner and Thomas Brown at the event. “It’s an honor to be able to do it.”

Meg Flynn, a spokeswoman for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, said the children and their families represented treatment areas across the hospital. Kids were picked for the event, in part, because of their affinity for the Falcons. The initial request for fans was met with “an overwhelming response,” Flynn said.

The group of Falcons immediately connected with their young supporters, putting aside the hard game of football for a few quieter moments with paint and the peacefulness that comes with watching a tank full of fish. But in the midst of the fun, the group imparted a valuable lesson.

“One of the most important things is to allow these kids to see we’re just like them,” Wire said. “Whatever they want to see and accomplish, they can.”

Wire was proud of his artwork but said he was outdone by his young partners. Brown, the youngest Falcon in the group, said he looks forward to spending time in the community. When he was younger, opportunities to paint with the likes of Norwood and other NFL stars wasn’t readily available.

“It’s not that long ago I was a kid,” the second-year player out of Georgia said. “So I’m getting out in the community to support them.”

J. Michael Moore Appearance Chauncey Davis, CHOA, Coy Wire, Georgia Aquarium, Jerious Norwood, Michael Turner, Thomas Brown