Fresno State Athletics
Bulldogs Bond With Little Heroes
2/9/2011 12:00:00 AM | General
Feb. 9, 2011
FRESNO, Calif. - If you were at the men's basketball game Monday night against Cal State Bakersfield you might have noticed a small cluster of red pom-poms waving feverishly in section 115. The little hands holding the pom-poms belonged to Little Heroes from Children's Hospital. They were accompanied by Fresno State student-athletes who serve as their Big Heroes. Together, and with the support of the Rotary Club of Fresno, they form the Big Heroes/Little Heroes program which get together every month for a variety of special events.
"It is a blessing to see the effects of Big Heroes/Little Heroes," Mike Falge, the representative from the Rotary Club of Fresno who helps coordinate the logistics of the program, said. "It gives Fresno State student-athletes the ability to get involved on an individual basis, a one-on-one interaction."
The Big Heroes/Little Heroes program evolved out of a tradition from the California Bowl which was played at Bulldog Stadium from 1981-1991. Each season the bowl participants would visit the boys and girls at Children's Hospital, making it the most anticipated event of the year. A couple years after the California Bowl ended, the Rotary Club partnered with Fresno State Athletics to continue the tradition.
"It's a win-win for both Fresno State student-athletes and the kids," Falge remarked. "The physically gifted student-athletes are able to interact with kids with physical disabilities and it really impacts both of them."
There are a total of 75 Big Heroes and 30 Little Heroes in the program so a couple student-athletes are partnered with one child to hang out with at the special events. The basketball game was just one of six events planned this school year for the Big Heroes/Little Heroes program.
The program kicked-off in October with a pizza and bowling party at the USU Recreation Center on campus. The Bigs and Littles took in a Fresno State volleyball game at the Save Mart Center in November and December's activity celebrated the season with a holiday party complete with presents for the children provided by the Rotary Club.
"I think Big Heroes/Little Heroes is a great way to have fun and let the kids play outside of the worries of the hospital," senior track and field athlete and two-year Big Hero Shanelle Stephens commented. "It lets them be themselves and I can be a big kid myself."
 Little Hero Keileah Brown shows off her prize.  | |
"She's funny and a cool person," Keileah said of her Big Hero. "I love doing stuff with her."
"I really like kids and want to become a teacher when I graduate," Vasquez added. "It's great to do stuff for other people and not just myself."
The Big Heroes/Little Heroes program's next event will be the Fresno State baseball game on March 22 against Ohio State. They will finish off the year April 13 with a Summer Send-Off on campus.
"We Are Your Team" - The Fresno State football team is hard at work on and off the field and in the community. They are gearing up for their 2011 season opening game in San Francisco at Candlestick Park against Cal. Tickets are on sale now by calling the Bulldog Ticket Office at (559)278-DOGS.
Players Mentioned
