Cowboys players and cheerleaders made their 35th annual trip to local children's hospitals in the Dallas-Fort Worth area on Monday to spend time with patients seeking treatment during the holiday season.
Across four different locations, players and cheerleaders signed autographs, took pictures, and put smiles on the faces of hundreds of children who had gathered to see some of their favorite players.
"These are children who have been dealt a challenge…" Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones said on 105.3 The Fan. "Our players are committed to and feel strongly about giving back and trying to put a smile on these young people's faces."
Wearing Dallas Cowboys Santa hats, players handed out stocking gift bags full with Cowboys goodies and mini footballs, and visited with patients awaiting procedures while talking about football, video games, Thanksgiving meals and everything in between. It's an eye-opening experience that leaves a long-lasting impact not just on the patients, but Cowboys players too.
"You just see in them for a minute, they realize the power of the platform that they stand on," Cowboys Chief Brand Officer Charlotte Jones said. "That they can come into a place as significant as Children's and bring a smile to someone's face that is really having a dark day."
"I think it allows them to see their place in our community and what it means to take time out, to pay attention to somebody else."
It's an event that guys like Jourdan Lewis look forward to every year because at one point in their lives, they were kids who wanted to meet their favorite players too. Now, they get to be that player for these children and brighten up their lives in hard times.
"That's a big part of why I do what I do, I always wanted to be the type of person to whenever I'm in the room, just light up somebody's day," Lewis said. "When I was a young kid, I wanted the same experiences, I can only imagine the type of experience these kids have when we walk in… it definitely means a lot to them, and it impacts our lives too."
Plenty of Dallas' players, like Rico Dowdle, have children of their own. Getting out in the community and seeing these kids puts life into perspective and gives them something to look forward to every year around the start of the holiday season.
"Always just nice getting out there with the kids," Dowdle said. "We're like their joy and pride, just getting to see us come in there, so honored to be able to have this platform and get out there and do that for the kids, great experience."
