I don't own copyright to the video, but as a proud Iowa Hawkeyes football season ticket holder I was happy to see this story appear on ESPN College Gameday. I'm sharing this to let the fans know they are making a difference.
I am an Iowa State Cyclone alum and fan and although our athletic programs compete as rival opponents, every Cyclone and Hawkeye, every Iowan, should be proud of this tradition at Kinnick Stadium. My wife and I were in the room at the U of I children's hospital when our best friends who are family to us lost their 4 year old son. All of Iowa should be tremendously proud of the dedication and work the great physicians, nurses and staff of the U of I Children's Hospital do for sick children. In this respect all Iowans, no matter what university affiliation, stand with the Hawkeyes in support of the medical professionals and kids at the U of I Children's Hospital!
How sad to think of what you witnessed. Many years ago, I spent 4 weeks on the children's oncology unit at UI Hospitals as a 4th year medical student. It was the most difficult experience of medical school for me, Of course, my difficulty with it was nothing compared with that of the children I saw there. It is impossible to watch this scene without breaking up. But there was hope when I was a student, far more now. And Iowa is unique in this only in having a children's hospital next to the stadium. Bless all the children wherever their struggles occur. As for the Cyclones, I look forward to seeing both teams standing together and waving to the children of all our families.
@@frereM If you can access it, the "Iowa Hawkeye Football!" page on FB has a great photo from last year of Cy and Herky with their arms around each other, waving from the NE corner of the stadium. I love that photo.
Buckeye here but the consideration and support Iowa and opponents show to these kids and give them a smile is awesome. I lost my grandson at 10 mnths to rare form of bacterial meningitus so I know the feeliings. So from this Buckeye. THANK YOU IOWA!!!!!!!!!!
Man seeing Kirk breakdown in that interview is tough. Ive met him a few times as my brother played for him and he's a kind man but also tough. You know he's hurting. Visited the campus many times and I love it there, it doesn't surprise me one bit that they would come up with such a great tradition.
As someone whos only ever known Kirk as the strong figure you see the cameras cut to, chewing on his gum no matter what the score. Seeing him get emotional got to me.
It's not JUST Iowa fans who wave, the ref's, the opposing team and their coaches as well as our own players and coaches wave to the kids and their families who are healthy enough to be up on the 12th floor, aptly called "The Press Box", and what's cool is that the top floor of the hospital is higher than the Press Box of Kinnick!! You can see every single seat in the stadium from that 12th floor. Our children's hospital is incredibly kid friendly. The big windows let the sun shine in, the colors are vibrant, the cafeteria on the ground floor has great food.
Sending best wishes from Philadelphia to those beautiful babies in Iowa.... We love you so much and pray for you every day. Iowa organization and their fans..... 1,000 % class.
I am an Iowan...but didn't care much for football. Then I saw this because my first two grandchildren - identical twin girls - are at the Stead Hospital overlooking Kinnick. Cora and Elise are in the NICU there and will be with their dad watching this Saturday's Iowa-Ohio State game. What a heart rending inspiration for this new grandpa. Thank you, Hawkeyes!
Ugh...my dad sent me this to watch this morning. And now I’m blubbering like a baby before class. This is incredible. It makes me so happy when we see the bigger picture and what’s really important.
Man those poor guys at the desk, you could hear them breaking down after that story. I’m sure they can relate having young kids of their own and Corso being a coach I’m sure can connect to Coach Ferentz and being a grandfather. Tough assignment, I know I broke when I saw this piece. 😞
I was in the crowd for gameday that day me and my friends had tears running down our faces as we were waving back to the camera the whole mood after that for at least a hour was really somber I hope to one day attend a game at Iowa so I can wave in person love VT but I will pull for Iowa now on
This goes beyond Football. Beyond sports. This is Humanity at it's best. This gets me emotional every time they do it. I actually look forward to Iowa football now. Sorry to all of the families who have lost a child. Go Hawkeyes! #winitforthekids #family
Everytime I see this it makes me emotional.. much love to the Iowa fan base and organization and the kids and staff at that hospital and the people who have been or had to go there or will have to be there best tradition ever in my opinion!! Much love from a UNC fan!!!!
That is the best college game day story ever. My fiancé graduated from Iowa and after seeing this I will always a Miami hurricane fan and Iowa Hawkeyes fan
Ferentz's emotion puts it in proper perspective. Putting it together. Bigger than football. Unity. Hope. Effort. Fight for Iowa. Children's Hospital. IOWA!!!
In the words of a good friend of mine, "Sports are unimportant -- which is exactly what makes them so important." When you can bring 70,000 people together in a gesture of kindness (granted, a lot more than that now that we know the story), the sport doesn't matter. But its potential affect on those around the sport, whether involved or just in the proximity, is gigantic, and I have nothing but love for the Hawkeyes for instilling this new tradition. May it last for as long as kids across the street still need hope.
I am a huge Hawkeye fan and seeing how this has spread almost globally warms my heart immensely!!!! It's so emotional to see the love for these kids spreading so far and wide!! To all you kids at the Children's hospital there, keep your hope and faith!! I will always pray for you kids!!!
This is amazing, makes me an Iowa fan in spirit, coming from a Buckeye fan my whole heart goes out to you kids. Stay strong and get well #downwithcancer
As I share this again...with journalists on the west coast who continue to "diss" Iowa and Iowa people, I see from a different perspective where the real quality lies. How can anybody, anywhere, thumb this down? Quality place, people, coach, players, values. @KMIR @Sara Sanchez @anybody else stupid enough to diss us. It's a reflection on you.
Revisited this video today, and fitting it was at VT. I wore a VT hat the entire school year after the shootings there in 07. I met Kirk Ferentz twice that year and commented approvingly. Despite all the manufacturered "hate", there's so much love and positivity that can come from being a football fan. ❤💪
This is really incredible to see these people give hope to those kids who think that there is no hope or feel forgotten. Wish I could give each of those kids a hug and show them they are loved. They are very precious to Jesus and to me.
In a way I hope that this tradition will one day come to an end because there will be a cure for cancer and hospitals such as this one will no longer be necessary.
Cullen, while I also hope for a cure, there are MANY other reasons and illnesses the kids are dealing with here. They have a great Neonatal department which could not save Brian and Nikki's baby who she was about 21 weeks pregnant with when they lost her. The cafeteria on the ground level is a great place to eat. The food is good, you'll see kids with family, they have their IV pole with them. there are at least 2 "charging stations" for phones, etc. plenty of tables and big open windows to see what's going on outside.
As great as this is to briefly take the focus off of the game, the sad truth is the football coach is paid more than any of the doctors in that hospital. For a football coach to be able to give away a million dollars shows how screwed up our priorities are. There's not a doctor in that hospital that has a spare million dollars on hand and yet their work is far more important than any stupid football game. And how many professors at an institution supposedly about education can give away a million dollars? How much more does the coach make compared to the college president?
