Posted on 01/17/2018 4:59:11 PM PST by ButThreeLeftsDo
New Orleans Saints punter Thomas Morstead said he will donate to Children's Minnesota the more than $40,000 raised by a unique fan campaign that began as a tribute to the punter's sportsmanship at the tail end of the Vikings defeat of the Saints Sunday.
According to the Vikings' website, Minnesota fan Garrick Shurts posted a call on Reddit for Vikings fans to donate money to Morstead's charity, What You Give Will Grow.
"It's just a bunch of happy Minnesota fans that were inspired for some reason. And I just figured the money should stay there to affect people in their community," Morstead said.
Shurts did it because Morstead, despite having early in the game suffered torn cartilage around his ribs, was the first member of the Saints to come back onto the field to line up for the requisite extra point following Stefon Diggs' dramatic 61-yard touchdown that sealed the Vikings victory.
"I'd just got back to the locker room and hey, the referee need 11 guys so I just turned around and came back out. I wasn't trying to make a statment or anything," Morstead said.
The efforts had raised more than $40,000 as of noon Wednesday, according to a tweet by Morstead. The punter said all the money raised would be donated to Children's Minnesota's Child Life Department.
The department is staffed by professionals who "work closely to help understand their medical care and minimize stress through medical play, relaxation, mental imagery, and special events and activities," according to Children's.
Heckuva nice guy.
Donations from Vikings fans has now topped $100,000
I heard about this, I believe the punter was interviewed on one of the radio shows, I forget which now.
It was probably more than one interview...
I had no idea my guy Rick was involved with this until I read about it on the net.
That’s the way he rolls. Never said anything to anybody.
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