JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –
Approximately 150 military children joined
Graham Gano, Carolina Panthers placekicker, as he hosted a youth football camp
at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, July 19 – 20, 2017.
Gano hosted the event at JBLE after the
Langley Air Force Base Commissary won a contest where they were awarded a
summer ProCamp with a National Football League athlete.
“I thought the (ProCamp) was a great
opportunity to give back,” said Gano. “I grew up in a military family and
anytime I have a chance to give-back, especially to the kids who have a similar
background to what I had growing up, I always like to take the opportunity and
make the most of it.”
The participants, ranging from first
through eighth-grade, were able to not only meet, but play and practice
alongside Gano. Coaches from schools such as Elizabeth City State University in
Elizabeth City, North Carolina and Landstown High School in Virginia Beach, Virginia,
also volunteered their time and skills throughout the camp.
“This
is a great opportunity for the kids within our community to have some fun while
they are learning football skills and what it takes to be successful in life,”
said Michell Jones, 633rd Force Support Squadron youth sports and fitness
director. “It is not every day that our youth have the opportunity to attend an
NFL football camp for free.”
The
two-day camp not only allotted the participants the chance to meet an NFL star,
but overall contributed to the youth programs, which offer different activities
to educate, guide, and entertain military children within the JBLE community.
“I remember when I was a kid, I always wanted
to meet the pro athletes. You see them on TV; it’s kind of like they are not
real,” said Gano. “It’s fun to show the kids that we are just like you; we grew
up just like you, and if you work hard enough at what you love, you can do
anything.”