By Keysha Drexel
Journal editor
As the beginning of a new football season shimmers on the horizon like a mirage in the desert, football fans will soon find a cool oasis to quench their gridiron thirst, all the while helping children across the state get access to lifesaving healthcare.
Football fans and seafood lovers have the opportunity to attend the ultimate football season kickoff party at Boiling N’ Bragging on Aug. 17. The event will benefit the Critical Care Transport program at Children’s of Alabama.
The fundraiser will be from 6-9 p.m. at Otey’s Tavern in Mountain Brook.
This is the fifth year the Rotary District 6860 is hosting the preseason football party and low country boil to help the efforts of the Critical Care Transport team, which is available 24 hours a day to provide specialized, state-of-the-art care to newborns, infants and children. The team is called to rural hospitals throughout the region to transport patients to Children’s of Alabama, where they can get the care they need.
Ambulances, a jet and helicopters staffed with a registered nurse and respiratory therapists are used to transport the patients. The team transports about 1,000 patients a year, said Jason Peterson, director of the Critical Care Transport program.
And for Peterson, who has been with the team since its inception in 1983, each one of the thousands of young patients he’s transported reminds him of the importance of the Critical Care Transport team.
“It’s an honor and a blessing to be able to take what they do at Children’s of Alabama to children in other parts of the state who might not, by no fault of their own, have access to that level of care,” he said.
While insurance covers the cost of transporting sick children, Peterson said it usually doesn’t cover the full costs of specialized medical care.
“That’s why events like Boiling N’ Bragging are so important,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity for people in the community to not only come together to celebrate the start of football season but also make a great impact on our program and the children we serve.”
Peterson grew up working in his father’s ambulance service business in Dora before becoming a registered nurse at Children’s of Alabama.
“This job really married those two worlds, and I can’t imagine a more rewarding job,” he said.
Mary Jean Sanspree, a member of the Boiling N’ Bragging committee and past district Rotarian governor, said the Rotarians got involved with helping the transport team in 2009.
“The Inverness club wanted to do something to support the hospital, so we started a district-wide effort to help out the Critical Care Transport team,” she said. “We held pancake breakfasts and all kinds of fundraisers working toward a $1 million goal.”
Sanspree said when she used to work at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, she would hear the team’s helicopters fly overhead and would always stop and say a prayer for the occupants.
“It doesn’t matter where you live or who you are, you know someone or you have been affected by the crucial work the transport team does every day,” she said.
Sanspree said the Boiling N’ Braggin’ event gives people a chance to show their team spirit while they raise money that will help children across the state.
“Everybody’s itching for football season to start. We had nine or 10 different team tents out there last year, and we hope to have even more this year,” she said.
Those attending are encouraged to wear their team colors and gather with other fans in the team tents at the event.
Boiling N’ Bragging includes an all-you-can-eat cookout and low country boil. There will be $1 beer specials as well as sports trivia, kids’ activities and a special appearance by WJOX’s Lance Taylor.
Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door. Children 10 or younger enter free. Otey’s Tavern is at 224 Country Club Park. Street parking will be available.
To register online, visit www.boilingnbragging.org. Sponsorship opportunities are available by contacting Kelly Burgess at [email protected] or by calling 638-9008.
