The visit by the Peru State football athletes absolutely made Cole's day.  I was extremely impressed with how each one of them handled themselves,” was the comment made by Karen, mother of Cole.
    Cole was one of many young patients visited recently by six Peru State College Bobcat football players at the Children's Hospital and Medical Center in Omaha.  Seniors Neil Bowman (Cedar Bluffs) and Jeremy Crump (Omaha) organized the trip as part of their leadership responsibilities as Bobcat Elite Leaders.
     This spring, with reorganization in the football coaching staff, a new program was used as part of the spring conditioning.  Bobcat Elite Leaders were determined and then other members of the football team were placed on each team.   Various goals and targets were set, including community service possibilities, as ways for teams to compete with each other during the rest of the spring.
    Bowman, a former patient himself at Children's, worked with Crump to organize the trip.  They made all of the arrangements and plans after receiving the blessing to do so from the football coaching staff and the College's athletic director.
     The intended outcome was gained by the players as they wanted to do something to pay it forward, especially hoping it would be of benefit to those they visited.  Cole's mother added, “ I know it can't be easy to come up and see all these children with cancer, but they (the Bobcat football players) definitely rose to the occasion and were extremely friendly and outgoing!  We really do hope to make it to a Peru State game next year!”
     The players visited Children's on Friday, March 16.  Once there, Rob Harding, a Community Resource Specialist with Children's, greeted them.  Harding took the players to the sixth floor of the center which is recovery floor.  They went door-to-door to see if the patients wanted visitors.  During the time there, the group visited between 15 to 20 patients and gave each a signed Bobcat head.
    Players making the visit included Tony Traynor, Neil Bowman, Jeremy Crump, Austin Barnes, Jake Long, and Dayton Graf
    About 90 Bobcats have just started spring practice that will culminate with a battle with the Alumni on Saturday, April 21.  They will open their fall campaign on the road next fall when they face Dakota State University in Madison, S.D. on August 25.