Once a Mountaineer, Always a Mountaineer program bringing football players to Eastwood Elementary

2015 event to benefit WVU Children’s Hospital

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The Once a Mountaineer, Always a Mountaineer program, which brings former West Virginia University football players back to Morgantown to inspire healthy lifestyle choices among area children, is hosting a kick-off event for its 2014-15 campaign at 10 a.m. on Wednesday (Oct. 15) at Eastwood Elementary School.

A few current WVU football players, assistant director of WVU Football Operations Quincy Wilson, and WVU’s Mountaineer Mascot Michael Garcia will visit Eastwood for a mini-day of play pep rally. Each child will go home with a drawstring bag and a Once a Mountaineer, Always a Mountaineer player-signed postcard.

“As current and former WVU football players, we have a responsibility to promote healthy lifestyle choices to kids all across West Virginia,” Wilson said. “Children look to athletes to be their role models, so it’s our job to make sure we’re leading them in the right direction.”

In March, eight former WVU players, including Wilson, returned to Morgantown for a day of play with area children, a visit to WVU Children’s Hospital, and a charity dinner. This season’s Once a Mountaineer, Always a Mountaineer campaign will conclude with a charity dinner on March 7, 2015, to benefit WVU Children’s.

“Our patients and families were ecstatic to visit with the players in March, and we were so grateful that they were able to find time in their schedules for us,” Cheryl Jones, R.N., director of WVU Children’s Hospital, said. “We are thrilled to be one of the beneficiaries of this year’s Once a Mountaineer, Always a Mountaineer campaign. We have a long-standing partnership with WVU football, and we look forward to continuing that partnership for years to come.”

For more information on the Once a Mountaineer, Always a Mountaineer campaign, visit www.umountaineers.com.

For more information on WVU Children’s Hospital, visit www.wvukids.com.