UGA Football Players Help Raise Money, Raise Awareness in Fight Against Breast Cancer
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ATHENS - As a young man, UGA football’s Sedrick Van Pran watched as his grandmother fought breast cancer.
Van Pran and a slew of other Bulldogs did their part in raising money to fight breast cancer earlier this week - doing their part to help raise $250,000 in donations for Bulldogs Battling Breast Cancer.
“My grandmother had breast cancer, and I watched her as I was growing up dealing with it. It’s a blessing to support this effort”, Van Pran told Dawg Post Monday. The self-described “God awful” golfer said he was going to give it all he could to raise money and awareness to fight the cancer his grandmother suffered through.
Bulldogs Battling Breast Cancer has been a 19-year journey for Teresa and Jay Abbott. Funds from the event go to St. Mary’s breast health imaging program. After years of giving back, the Abbotts had their son Chris Abbott, a former letterman under Mark Richt at UGA, taken from them in February after complications from liver surgery.
Those in attendance acknowledged Chris’ passing with white wristbands.
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“This is very important to me,” UGA offensive lineman Amarius Mims said. “I can take time out of my day, no matter how long it takes, to support this cause.”
Mims and Van Pran were just two UGA football players who shared their experience of watching a friend or family member fight breast cancer or any type of cancer - a battle which can include consistent surgeries, hair loss and vomiting all the while confronting your own mortality.
Any cancer is a steep mountain to climb.
“Coach Smart tries to get all of us to participate in two or three community events,” Mims added of the support from UGA football players. “It’s a blessing to be able to give back. We enjoy taking time out of our day to support great causes.”
Although a charitable day, those players attending were eager to compete with one another on the links. The smart money was on either WR Ladd McConkey and QB Brock Vandagriff playing the best round. QB Carson Beck was also considered a front runner to win the day.
But the biggest winners are those benefiting from the work done by the Abbotts over the last two decades. Over the last 19 years, Bulldogs Battling Breast Cancer has raised nearly $2 million dollars in donations.
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