DETROIT – The Detroit Lions season is over, but Ford Field is still seeing some action on the gridiron.
“It feels good to know that the whole community and like the city and the whole world is giving back to the community,” Matthew Wadlington Jr. said
Wadlington Jr. is competing in A Touch of Football Tournament, an annual fundraising event hosted by the Michigan Chapter of Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. This year, 33 teams competed in flag-football to raise money.
“Who doesn’t want to play where the Lions play? We keep attracting more people, but I think overall, I think people really understand why we’re here -- is to raise money,” said Melissa Greer, the foundation’s executive director.
Each dollar goes toward research for people affected by inflammatory bowel disease while raising public awareness.
“With this disease, it’s a very silent disease because you don’t see the symptoms,” said Tennille Taraszkiewicz, a Crohn’s Disease patient. “It’s really internal to the patient.”
There’s also stigma attached to IBD.
But on the field, everyone shares the fight against Crohn’s and Colitis diseases.
A majority of the players hail from Ford Motor Company. However, the tournament is open to anyone. Each team plays two games, advancing further into the competition until two teams face-off in the championship.
Each team raised a minimum of $3,000 through fundraising and corporate sponsorship, Greer said.
This year’s tournament also shattered records including attendance and fundraising more than $200,000.
While a team will be crowned the winner, there’s another victory happening off-the-field: the goal of finding a cure inches closer.
