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Published May 24, 2021
FSU Football, Fitzgerald help local groups provide beds for 100 youths
Austin Cox  •  TheOsceola
Staff Writer
Twitter
@AustinRCox12

While Florida State head coach Mike Norvell continued his May tour of the state of Florida, holding free youth football clinics for aspiring athletes, a large group of his players hosted a charity event for local children back in Tallahassee.

Organized by FSU redshirt freshman kicker Ryan Fitzgerald, 100 beds were given by Ashley Furniture HomeStore Saturday morning to kids in need. Florida State and Fitzgerald partnered with 1915 South, Ashley Furniture's parent company, to give the kids an exciting day filled with interactions with the FSU players and a pizza lunch.

The beds actually were a surprise donation to the youths, and the big reveal came while they were enjoying the meal provided by FSU's University Club. Each bed had a customized comforter and sheets, complete with a sign with the child’s name on it.

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Fitzgerald said the event couldn’t have gone any better, and he particularly enjoyed the response from the kids when they first laid eyes on their beds.

“That’s awesome, it makes all of it worth it," Fitzgerald said. "Seeing that, it was just awesome. Knowing that it made their day.”

Before the big surprise was unveiled, there was fun from the start for children selected from some of Tallahassee’s elementary schools, North West Florida Health Network, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Big Bend. The event began in the morning with a series of activities set up at Bobby Bowden Field inside Doak Campbell Stadium.

After taking a tour of the locker room and stadium, the kids practiced kicking, catching and throwing with FSU players in attendance. A handful of 2021 Seminoles manned each station, and every child had heavy interaction and memorable moments with different players.

Fitzgerald was joined by names like linebacker Amari Gainer, receiver Keyshawn Helton, offensive lineman Darius Washington, defensive back Meiko Dotson and linebacker DeCalon Brooks, among others.

“It was awesome, the support," Fitzgerald said. "I didn’t really know how many guys to expect yesterday when we were setting up, and I saw 25 guys there right on time. Right at 12:30. And I was like, ‘This is going to be good. This is going to be fun.'"

Angela Hendrixson, director of the Hope To Dream program which helped organize the day, was ecstatic with how the event turned out.

“We usually do individual deliveries, which is great, but it’s also great to reach a large amount of kids,” Hendrixson said. “I think they all had a fantastic time today. It’s been great.”

Said Fitzgerald: “Everything starts with dreams; my dream was to come here. It all started with dreams. I just think it's important to give back and really just interact with the community. We haven’t been able to do that as much with COVID.”

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