AURORA — Arapahoe High School’s senior football players unanimously elected to ignore Colorado’s preseason no-contact rule.
They strapped it on and went one-on-one with dozens of challenged youth and their family members Wednesday at Children’s Hospital, and may never benefit more from a drill they won’t soon forget.
The Warriors spent the late afternoon and early evening with patients in another example of in-state high school students continuing to be active in their communities.
It was difficult to determine which group benefited and enjoyed it more — the able-bodied 12th-graders who can run, jump and do as they please or the patients who are saddled with tubes, needles, surgeries, crutches and wheelchairs.
“This is pretty powerful stuff for our kids,” Warriors coach Mike Campbell said.
Campbell and his wife, Michele, who have a healthy 4-year-old daughter as well as a 15-month-old son who had difficulties at birth, were moved to the point that giving back became a priority. “Kickoff for Kids” seemed to be a good idea.
“We’re fortunate and have so much,” Campbell said. “I brought it up to our kids, and they jumped at the chance to be part of it.”
The Warriors stood tall even if they left the hospital feeling about the size of a millimeter. They greeted or spent time with every young person available — from a 2-year-old boy with mischievous eyes who was coming off his second hip surgery since being struck by a tow truck, to a blushing teenaged girl who was battling organ rejection and had been at Children’s Hospital more than 300 days since 2006.
Arapahoe senior safety Devin Pullara realizes getting pancaked on the field or beaten deep for a touchdown falls well short in life’s grand scheme.
“It really is a great experience,” Pullara said. “It really does put things in perspective.”
The Warriors went floor to floor, handed out mini-Arapahoe footballs, hosted a crafts fair in the lobby, served pizza, cake and soda pop to youngsters glad to get it, and greeted more people than a politician.
“The whole goal of this was to give them a couple hours where they didn’t have to think about the problems in their lives,” said Pullara, who hopes to be a part of it again next year.
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com
