Play.
The crowd waves to the kids.
The Iowa crowd waves to the children in the hospital after the first quarter. The time is 0:25.
4:23 PM
The football team at the University of Iowa has been drawn to helping the hospital. The hospital overlooks Kinnick Stadium, and one of the best traditions in college football is when the children wave to everyone inside the stadium.
Current COVID-19 protocols have prevented any public visitors from visiting the hospital, but center Tyler Linderbaum wanted to support the hospital. The hospital has allowed athletes to visit in the past, but not recently.
New rules regarding name, image and likeness allowed Linderbaum to put together a raise for the hospital.
The director of corporate and community development for the children's hospital was completely surprised when she heard from Linderbaum.
Blind said they had no idea he was doing it. Tyler sent an email to me and another member of his team and said he would like to raise money for me. He wanted to give the money to the hospital and not keep it.
The website was set up to sell clothing and accessories and 100% of the profit was donated to the hospital.
Two days in and already at $10,000! Let's keep it going!
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October 7, 2021.
Some of the clothing featured a message about supporting the kids and a waving back to the hospital by the Rimington Trophy winning center, Steve Linderbaum. In October, the fundraiser ran. He had $10,000 donated in two days.
Blind said that he remembers when he was setting the goal with his team. "None of us were sure how realistic that would be, but we said let's go for it and he said he thought we could do it." He raised $30,000 after raising it to $25,000 after four days.
"He was shocked and said, 'I can't believe people want to buy stuff with my name on it.'
The hospital received a check for $30,000 after the fundraiser.
He did something.
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December 19, 2021.
It was unusual for the hospital workers to see a student with a large check. It could be the last time they see that from student-athletes at Iowa.
Two Iowa teammates are following in the footsteps of their teammate. Goodson and Belton are raising money for the hospital through NIL deals. The hospital received a donation from the sale of an NFT by the former Iowa basketball player.
According to the hospital, the donation will go to support general pediatrics at the hospital with the highest needs determined by leadership. Immediate needs that otherwise would have had to wait will be met by that, and it could be anything from research to new equipment.
Blind said that Alexander Bassuk, head of the department of pediatrics, came meet him because this was the first check presentation they have done with any athlete. "Tyler was the first one to finish and make his donation, so this was really the beginning of all of this."
