A Humanitarian Touchdown

When professional athletes are mentioned in conversation, it’s frequently in tales of “the selfish athlete.” One man’s story might change that unfair label: NFL star Everson Walls embodies the term “giving of yourself.” When ex-teammate and longtime friend Ron Springs needed a kidney transplant, Walls stepped in and offered his...

By Matthew Lawson

January 17, 2013

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When professional athletes are mentioned in conversation, it’s frequently in tales of “the selfish athlete.” One man’s story might change that unfair label: NFL star Everson Walls embodies the term “giving of yourself.” When ex-teammate and longtime friend Ron Springs needed a kidney transplant, Walls stepped in and offered his. Since then, Everson authored A Gift for Ron, which describes his life and his decision to donate his kidney. With the help of Springs, Walls started Gift for Life Foundation, an educational organization that teaches the dangers of kidney-related illnesses. The foundation also sends children with kidney diseases to Camp Reynal, where they can forget about being patients for a while, and just be kids. Everson Walls will speak at the Bishop Arts Theatre Center (215 S. Tyler St.) at 7 p.m. Thursday about “Friendship and Sacrifice on and off the Gridiron”; if there ever was a man that knew how to balance friendship and sacrifice, it’s Everson Walls. Tickets are $15, and can be reserved by calling the theater at 214-948-0716, or bought online at tecotheater.org.
Thu., Jan. 17, 7 p.m., 2013

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