JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Jaguars brought the party and endless smiles to critically ill children and their families who have to spend the holidays in a hospital.
There’s no way Jaguars Logan Cooke could escape the barrage of snowballs tiny tikes at the Ronald McDonald House of Jacksonville had in store for the punter, retired offensive lineman Brandon Linder and Jaxson de Ville.
Amanda Witzel moved into the McDonald House about a month ago from Ontario, Canada. For three and a half decades Ronald McDonald Charities of Jacksonville has supported critically ill children and their families who need to be near a hospital for their child’s treatment.
“We’re away from Christmas from home so this is a little bit of home brought to us, and the kids love it,” Witzel said. “They get to see Santa, and they get to hang out with their friends, which is something I think they’re missing at home.”
Megan Weinstein, with the charity, said they want families to focus on one thing:
“That’s loving and taking care of their children and getting them the best medical care that they can get in this city. So, tonight is about celebrating and having a good time and spreading some holiday cheer,” Weinstein said.
“We made friends who are also from Canada, and tonight is just a like a night to sit down and relax and feel like we’re not too far away from home,” Cory Witzel said.