If you didn’t know I’m going to tell you that I am a HUGE college football fan and a bigger fan of positive stories. Justin Blackmon is a junior at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The junior leads in the NCAA in most categories and has received the highest honor a wide receiver can earn, the Biennikoff Award. Blackmon is projected and will be the first wide receiver taken in this years NFL draft. He is an all Big 12 an All-American with a huge heart. I have to say I was a bit surprised when I read about the star wideout. Most athletes focus on their big pay day in mid April (NFL DRAFT), but not Blackmon, he’s made time for other things, like ‘Giving Back.’
Future first round pick in this coming NFL Draft Justin Blackmon of Oklahoma State University has a very special relationship with a cancer patient, Olivia Hamilton. The two met at Coaches versus Cancer basketball game in Stillwater Oklahoma. The third grader became a huge fan of the OSU wideout immediately thereafter – way before the sophomore won last year’s Biletnikoff Award, recognizing him as the best wide receiver in the country.
Before Olivia attended Project 1-2-3, she made a sign for Blackmon and left it in his locker alongside a personalized silicon bracelet (pictured above). Before the 1-2-3 walk at Boone Pickens Stadium, Blackmon tracked down the third grader to introduce himself. In his next game the Cowboy’s star receiver had six receptions for 174 yards with three touchdowns. After his all star performance Olivia stood with Blackmon as they sang his Alma Mater post (picture above) song, that he wore the bracelet she left in his locker. Blackmon wears the bracelet every game, he says it inspires him”It’s a piece of Olivia walking around with me every day”. Olivia’s father said “She looks for the bracelet every time he scores a touchdown… She goes where’s my bracelet?”. The two communicate before and after each game. Blackmon visited Olivia when she was going through chemotherapy.
A hard path still lies ahead but easier with a close friend. Olivia is in the fourth grade and has finished her treatment, she is a cheerleader at her school and watched Blackmon play against Stanford in the Fiesta Bowl, as a shined with her bracelet on hand.
Project 1-2-3 is a program invites special spectators to different universities all over the country to spend time with different sporting groups. The cheerleaders from Oklahoma University invited young girls with cancer to their practice and did special cheers and tumbles for their special guests. Oklahoma University had a “Take me Out to the Ballgame” day where they invited young boys to the mens baseball team practice followed by a team meeting and hang out session with the lucky kids that attended. In large if not all of the special spectators that take part of Project 1-2-3 suffer from some ailment whether it be leukemia or cancer, these spectacular kids are invited to the University of their choice to spend a day or two with a sports club. To learn more go to specialspectator.blogspot.com
