San Jose State University linebacker Tysyn Parker described a recent bright, sunny summer weekday afternoon in Palo Alto that as "Christmas in July."
For Parker and teammates sophomores E.J. Ane and Jaime Navarro; freshman Dimitri Sakalia; junior Kyle Hoppe; and seniors Bailey Gaither, Josh Love and Christian Webb lighting up a Christmas tree was replaced lighting up the lives of 20 boys and girls ages 8 to 12 at the Ronald McDonald House at Stanford University.
The eight Spartans and Beyond Football Coordinator Tobruk Blaine spent roughly 90 minutes providing the gifts of togetherness, play and fun to siblings of patients housed at the Ronald McDonald House that serves families facing children's medical crises at the nearby Lucille Packard Children's Hospital.
After learning about the Ronald McDonald House charities and the services provided to affected families, it was fun and games time. Cornhole, water balloon fights, tossing around a football, jumping and running on and through a football rope agility ladder, a potato sack race, and anything the San Jose State players could fit in until it was time for an ice cream treat to call it a day.
THANKS FROM THE STAFF & BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS
"The people at the Ronald McDonald House were very thankful we took time out of our day. They were telling us when a sports team comes (to visit), it really does wonders for them (the children). It gives them someone to look up to, and shows somebody cares about them and will spend time with them," said Parker, who was making his second annual visit to the Ronald McDonald House at Stanford as part of the team's Beyond Football community outreach.
"(This) can put your life in perspective. For us athletes, we think we have it hard on a daily basis with what we have to go through. For a child eight or nine years old and to see their brother, sister or cousin or whomever it may in the hospital hooked up to a machine and they (the patient) can't be a kid, it puts our 'problems' to a lesser extent. We should be thankful for every opportunity we have to be football players and do what we do."
In her role with the Spartans' Beyond Football program, Blaine took the initiative contacting the local Ronald McDonald House staff offering the San Jose State football team through the volunteer program.
"We have goals to work with them more. We have some other ways to get involved as our schedules permit," she said about establishing a long-term association between the Spartans and the Ronald McDonald House at Stanford.
"Eventually, we would like to provide a meal to the families. The Ronald McDonald House looks into organizations that are willing to purchase and bring in a meal for the families and donate time to serve the food."
IMPACTING LIVES
"It's a very humbling experience being around these kids and understanding that one of their siblings is in the hospital and what they have to go through. They're so young. We had a great time," added Parker, who knows first-hand about the value of effective community outreach.
"Where I'm from (Gardena, Calif.), some of the Beyond Football stuff is not promoted. Any time, I can get around kids and young adults and be an (positive) influence and use my platform, I'm going to try. I want to impact somebody's life, because somebody did that for me."
The sentiments of Parker, a two-time Academic All-Mountain West award winner, are exactly what Blaine wants the Spartans to realize from the Ronald McDonald House visit.
"I hope they were able to recognize the power of their position as a (NCAA) Division I football athlete – the fact they can make an impact on the lives of our youth. They see it. My hope is that it resonates with them," she said.
"I also hope and think they see how much fun these kids are. They're just kids. They want to have fun during the summer and get their minds off of the more challenging things (in life) they have to face."
A girl named Angel, who remembered Parker from the Spartans' 2018 visit, summed up Christmas in July for the 20 youngsters at the Ronald McDonald House the best, "I hope you come back soon."
Through the San Jose State Beyond Football program, that is likely to happen.
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To learn more about the Beyond Football program of the San Jose State University football team, click here.
