Former Colorado State football coach Jim McElwain recently donated $5,000 to the fundraising efforts of a former player.
According to the Coloradan, MacFam LLC — operated by McElwain, now the Florida football coach, and his wife, Karen — donated the money to a GoFundMe account set up by former CSU defensive lineman Eli Edwards.
Edwards and his daughter, Ellyse, have been stuck in New Zealand, where his wife, Isa, was receiving treatment for lupus. Isa lost her battle, dying June 6. But Edwards was unable to afford to fly back to the United States and hold a funeral.
To help cover the costs, Edwards, a defensive lineman at CSU in 2012-13, set up a GoFundMe account asking for donations to help bring his family home. The response has been overwhelming.
According to the Coloradan, since launching June 8, the page has raised more than $20,000 for the Edwards family with many of the donations coming from CSU players and coaches, past and present, and none bigger than from the McElwains.
In addition, former CSU players Jedidiah Teofilo and Blaine Saipaia hosted a fundraising barbecue Saturday in Fort Collins.
