Lobo Football Visits Wings for LIFE

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — When the Lobo Football gets out in the community, as they have done continually under head coach Bob Davie, there is a constant theme that emerges.  Sometimes, whether the team is reading to kids at elementary schools, participating in activities with disadvantaged youths, or visiting sick children at UNMH Children’s hospital, it is sometimes hard to tell who has the bigger smiles, the student-athletes, or the children they are with.
 
UNM’s latest excursion once again brought the smiles out, but certainly, as much as UNM’s student-athletes affected the people they visited, the student-athletes also learned a little about life, determination, and the will to press forward. 
 
UNM student-athletes D’Angelo Ross, Rayshawn Boyce, Emmanuel Harris, Erin Austin, Ahmari Davis, Elijah Lilly and Javohn Jones had the chance to visit with the families at Wings for LIFE, International, located in Albuquerque.
 
Wings for LIFE, according to its website “provides life-skills, education, training, and support for family members/caregivers of prisoners (returning citizens) and at-risk youth”.  It was here that UNM’s student-athletes were at their best.
 

We were out in the community again, visiting with the families at Wings for LIFE, and it was an impactful day for all’s #GoLobos

A post shared by UNM Lobo Football (@unmlobofb) on Apr 11, 2018 at 4:32pm PDT

After meeting with the families, the student-athletes were introduced and did a little Q&A.  Each student-athlete shared a meal with different families, talking about school and the challenges faced by the affected families.  Later, several players read to the kids and played games.  Throughout it all, smiles were abundant.
 
“We can see that our visit was really well received,” said receivers coach Scott Baumgartner, who accompanied the student-athletes on the trip.  “I do think it opened the eyes of our guys to how much of a role model they can be for young children, and even adults, here in Albuquerque.”
 
“It’s great for them to see that they can make a difference outside of the borders of our campus.  I think it was eye-opening for them, but they really brought great energy and had a lot of fun visiting.”
 
For more information about Wings for LIFE, visit their website at http://www.wingsforlifeinternational.org