NFL stars and twin brothers, Jason and Devin McCourty have partnered with Embrace Kids Foundation and launched a campaign against sickle cell disease. The campaign, entitled “Tackle Sickle Cell” aims to educate the public, increase blood donors and raise money & awareness for the fight against sickle cell disease.
On Sunday, June 9, 2013, The McCourty Twins along with Fit Fathers will be hosting a 5K Run/Walk in Liberty State Park in Jersey City, NJ. This 5K Run/Walk is the major fundraising component of the Tackle Sickle Cell Campaign. The Run/Walk is for all ages and will be followed by a celebration including music, food, and fun at the park. Jason & Devin McCourty will be joined on this day by fellow members of the NFL & Rutgers football community. Rutgers Football Head Coach Kyle Flood will be the “Official Race Starter.”
Embrace Kids Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit located in New Brunswick, New Jersey, assists families whose children have sickle cell. Their goal is to address and support spiritual, emotional and financial issues of the kids and their families. All programs and services are free to families and include emergency financial assistance, individualized tutoring, counseling, and inspirational events and holiday parties. The proceeds from the Tackle Sickle Cell 5K will be used exclusively to provide college scholarships, emergency financial assistance and educational programming/seminars to families whose children have sickle cell. To register and/or donate for the 5K Run/Walk please visit TackleSickleCell.org and join the Fit Fathers team.
Jason and Devin McCourty were football standouts at Rutgers University before moving onto the NFL where they are both currently starting defensive backs. Jason plays for the Tennessee Titans and Devin plays for the New England Patriots. They’ve done everything together their entire lives, so it’s no surprise that they’ve joined forces with their charitable efforts. “We have seen first hand the devastating effects of Sickle Cell on family members and we are choosing to use our platform to help families in similar situations,” said Jason. “This is something very personal to us, we can’t wait to get started and we’re thrilled to be working with Embrace Kids Foundation,” added Devin.
Be sure to follow @TackleSC and @FitFathers on Twitter and join the conversation by using #TackleSC. You can also like us on Facebook.com/TackleSickleCell and Facebook.com/FitFather.
