The
Gift of Champions
|
Dean
Henry Gremillion,
Malcolm Jenkins
and Dr. Joey
Lacoste. |
When the New Orleans
Saints won the Super Bowl,
they captured the hearts
of people around the globe
with their compelling
story of championship
football and genuine
caring for the community.
Coach Sean Peyton calls
this the ethic of "do
good". In his bestselling
book, Home Team,
he points out that most of
the players are like
Malcolm Jenkins, who is
always there to help the
community. Jenkins is a
22-year-old defensive
standout from Ohio State
University. In 2009, he
was the team's first-round
draft pick.
Recently, Jenkins came to
LSUSD to visit with
students and to present a
$5,000 donation made by
the dentists who are part
of the Louisiana Dental
Center. Most of the
dentists are graduates of
LSUSD, including their
CEO, Dr. Joey Lacoste, who
made the presentation to
Dean Henry Gremillion.
"We nearly lost the
Saints after Katrina and
we nearly lost the dental
school," Dr. Lacoste said.
"Sometimes, we don't
appreciate the things that
really matter in life
until we almost lose
them."
After the Saints and
LSUSD did come home, Dr.
Lacoste searched for an
exciting way to raise
money for the dental
school by connecting to
the Saints. The upshot is
a dynamic fundraising idea
he calls "The Big
Turnover". When there is a
fumble or interception by
the opposing team,
Louisiana Dental Center
donates $250 to LSUSD. "It
sure has made watching the
game more interesting and
I didn't think that was
possible."
|
Dental
students, Sean
Owens and Michael
Maher flank Saints
safety Malcolm
Jenkins. |
Jenkins was gracious in
meeting with the dental
students, signing
autographs and posing for
photographs. Dean Henry
Gremillion accepted the
$5,000 donation, which
will go into a fund
dedicated to student
community service
projects. "The
service-mindedness of
individuals like Malcolm
Jenkins demonstrates how
vital the community is in
all professions. Being the
best and performing at the
highest levels unifies
everyone. The mark of a
true professional, whether
it's football or
dentistry, is to give
back."
Photos of the event
can be found at http://gallery.me.com/cdbenn#100008
User ID: lsudental
Password: jenkins
|