BleedGopher
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2008
- Messages
- 61,815
- Reaction score
- 17,774
- Points
- 113
Western Herald: Kalamazoo community won’t abandon ship on PJ Fleck’s signature "RTB"
per the Western Herald:
Although former WMU football coach PJ Fleck left for Minnesota at the beginning of the month, the impact that his positivity and “Row the Boat” mantra had on the community of Kalamazoo is here to stay.
When Fleck inherited the football program in 2012, one of his priorities was to integrate WMU into the community and unite Kalamazoo. One of the ways he and the Broncos did this was by volunteering at places throughout the community such as Bronson Children’s Hospital, as well as Heritage Community Center, a retirement home. Through these visits, Fleck and the team would preach the idea of “Row the Boat.”
Bronson Children’s Hospital’s Child Life Specialist Corey Richardson said Fleck reached out to her in one of his first years at WMU, and asked about visiting the patients. During this visit, Fleck painted an ore with the kids and taught them about the RTB mantra. It wasn’t until this past August that Richardson heard from him again.
“PJ called and was interested in doing visits again and hoping to come more than one time,” Richardson said. “He and the team started the visits in September, and came every other week through November without fail. The kids lit up when they walked into the room.”
Richardson not only set up the visits, but escorted the Fleck, his wife and the team around.
“It was special to be able to share the excitement and experience,” Richardson said. “A lot of us work long hours and aren’t able to go to the games, so it was nice to still be a part of that.”
When the team members visited, one in the group would give the patient two coins and ask them to rub them together. The team members would tell him or her that when they rubbed these coins together, they would “have the strength of the whole football team helping them through this.” The patient then got to keep these coins as a reminder to “Row the Boat” and keep moving forward.
“Parents often teared up,” Richardson said. “It was meaningful, knowing what these patients go through.”
http://www.westernherald.com/news/article_71bb6d7a-e7ca-11e6-a720-632823d881c8.html
Go Gophers!!
per the Western Herald:
Although former WMU football coach PJ Fleck left for Minnesota at the beginning of the month, the impact that his positivity and “Row the Boat” mantra had on the community of Kalamazoo is here to stay.
When Fleck inherited the football program in 2012, one of his priorities was to integrate WMU into the community and unite Kalamazoo. One of the ways he and the Broncos did this was by volunteering at places throughout the community such as Bronson Children’s Hospital, as well as Heritage Community Center, a retirement home. Through these visits, Fleck and the team would preach the idea of “Row the Boat.”
Bronson Children’s Hospital’s Child Life Specialist Corey Richardson said Fleck reached out to her in one of his first years at WMU, and asked about visiting the patients. During this visit, Fleck painted an ore with the kids and taught them about the RTB mantra. It wasn’t until this past August that Richardson heard from him again.
“PJ called and was interested in doing visits again and hoping to come more than one time,” Richardson said. “He and the team started the visits in September, and came every other week through November without fail. The kids lit up when they walked into the room.”
Richardson not only set up the visits, but escorted the Fleck, his wife and the team around.
“It was special to be able to share the excitement and experience,” Richardson said. “A lot of us work long hours and aren’t able to go to the games, so it was nice to still be a part of that.”
When the team members visited, one in the group would give the patient two coins and ask them to rub them together. The team members would tell him or her that when they rubbed these coins together, they would “have the strength of the whole football team helping them through this.” The patient then got to keep these coins as a reminder to “Row the Boat” and keep moving forward.
“Parents often teared up,” Richardson said. “It was meaningful, knowing what these patients go through.”
http://www.westernherald.com/news/article_71bb6d7a-e7ca-11e6-a720-632823d881c8.html
Go Gophers!!