In News:
There is more to Phoenix than football this January January 12, 201511:23 PM MST
(l to r) Stephen Attwood, Yvette & Yank Barry, Steve Hunter, Nick Sheppard, Nick Lowery and John Bronson came to St Vincent de Paul in Phoenix to help serve the billionth meal from the Global Village Champions Foundation. Denise Meridith View all8 photos
Most of the sports talk in Arizona this week is about the first college football playoff or fear that Seattle might get to play in the Super Bowl in “our house.” But some former athletes had other priorities on Monday, January 12, 2015, as they joined theGlobal Village Championship Foundation in feeding hundreds of homeless people at the 3rd Annual Christmas in January, celebrated at St. Vincent de Paul in Phoenix, Arizona. Local fan favorite Nick Lowery, the 7-times all pro, who has a youth foundation and campaigns against bullying, emceed the event. The featured guests were Yank and Yvette Barry, who started the Global Village Championship twenty-years ago. The audience was not sure if Barry was serious when he said he hated “Louie Louie,” the song that made him famous as a member of the Kingsmen in 1963. But there was no doubt that the Canadian businessman is serious about his foundation’s vision to help “eradicate hunger from the face of the earth.” Amazingly, on January 12th, they were celebrating serving the one-billionth free meal. One of the inspirations for this race to provide one billion meals was not at St Vincent’s in person, but was definitely there in spirit. A huge poster of a young boxer named Muhammad Ali hung behind the podium. Jimmy Walker, who is president of a business/sports/entertainment company, and close friend of Ali, delivered Ali’s regrets for not attending (he was recently hospitalized) and his continuing commitment to the cause. Lowery introduced a diverse group of dedicated former athletes, including Nick Sheppard, Steve Hunter, and Carolyn Moos. Chris Dugan, a former NFL kicker, who took some ribbing for wearing a Seahawks hat, stunned the crowd with his positive attitude, despite enduring 52 brain surgeries. John Bronson spoke about the new Pro Athletes Chamber of Commerce, with whom Lowery will participate as the Phoenix Chapter Chair. The seemingly endless line of homeless people, which stretched around the long perimeter of the cafeteria throughout the ceremony, was a testament to the continuing problem of hunger, even, in the richest country in the world. Lowery challenged everyone to get involved, to be the one to make a difference, with a quote from Harrison Wilson (Russell’s father, a former teammate of his): “Why not you?” http://www.examiner.com/article/there-is-more-to-phoenix-than-football-this-january