Brighten Your Day

College football players spend spring break helping the homeless in Panama

March 20, 2013

While a majority of college students use their spring break to relax and party at various beaches across the US, six football players from the University of Mississippi (also know as Ole Miss) are traveling to Panama City, Panama to help the less fortunate.

Led by senior linebacker D.T. Shackelford, Ole Miss players Justin Bell, Ontario Berry, Josh Richardson, Kameron Wood and John Youngblood are spending a week in Panama visiting orphanages, feeding the homeless, and running football clinics.

The group joined a handful of other college athletes with the same plan to give back, led by Ole Miss football chaplain John Powell. The trip was paid for with generous donations raised by Powell. In fact, they raised $1600 more than their goal.

"My hope is that we all come back realizing how blessed we are here and that will carry over into how we look at our teammates, how we serve our community, how we approach our education and being grateful for all those things," Powell said.

So while most of their friends, as well as college students across the nation, are on the beach partying at the other Panama City(Florida), these individuals are inspiring others and giving back to those who need it.

Full Story: Ole Miss News