University of Tennessee Athletics
Vols Inspire With Beads Of Courage
November 10, 2015 | Football
By Brian Rice
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.
UTSports.com
The Volunteers wore beads during the Vol Walk and on their shoulder pads during the 27-24 victory over South Carolina that will go to children facing cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.
The Beads of Courage program began at Phoenix Children's Hospital in February 2003. Young patients receive a strand that they add a bead to every time they have a specific treatment or have an overnight hospital stay. Tennessee first participated in the program in 2013 and it was expanded to East Tennessee Children's Hospital in January, allowing the beads the Vols wear to stay here at home.
Student-athletes went to visit kids in the program last week and welcomed them to the sidelines at Neyland Stadium prior to the game on Saturday.
"I think it's awesome," quarterback Joshua Dobbs said of the program. "Those kids look up to us as idols, which is kind of weird for us, but it's also cool. It was great to meet them on the sideline before the game and then represent them on the field with the beads."
The players carried "Acts of Courage" beads on their pads against the Gamecocks. The beads, orange with a white Power T, are given to kids after a particularly tough treatment or when they need an extra boost of encouragement.
"It was very special," said defensive back Cameron Sutton. "Representing kids that are facing adversity and challenges in their lives that they're battling through shows us the significance of our role as the football team. We're behind them, they're not embarking on this journey alone."
Kicker Aaron Medley was one of the players able to spend time with the kids at ETCH last week, helping them start their strands of beads and interacting with them for the afternoon.
"To see their faces light up when we walked in the room, that was really cool," Medley said. "Anytime you can bring a smile to a kid's face, it's worth it."
Sutton's class schedule kept him out of the visit last week, but he has been a frequent visitor to ETCH during the Vols' regular visits with the Vol For Life program. He also spent time with the special visitors on the sideline Saturday.
"Just being around the kids, being able to talk to them, interact with them and mentor them and get into their lives," Sutton said of the visits. "We show that that we love and care for them and their families."
Medley sees the role the Vols are able to take in the lives of young fans as deeply important to the kids. But the benefits run both ways, the kids have an impact on the players as well.
"It puts a perspective on life," Medley said. "Football is more than just a game, it's a platform to do other things. It makes it come full circle. Having them on the sideline and seeing them before the game made it a family atmosphere and that's what we're all about here at Tennessee."
