PHOTO GALLERY
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Student-athletes from Samford University recently helped out at a fundraiser for Cooper Tullo, a sixth-grade student at Brocks Gap Intermediate School in Hoover, Ala.

Kelly Shaffer, a former Samford soccer player and current teacher at Brocks Gap, organized the event to assist Tullo, who was diagnosed with Burkitt's Lymphoma over the summer. The fundraiser was a "Minute to Win It for Cooper," with students paying $5 to participate in several Minute to Win It activities during their Physical Education class.

"The fundraiser came about early this school year when I found out just how intense his treatments were, and how physically, emotionally and financially exhausted he and his family must be," Shaffer said. "I wanted to come up with a way to raise money for him and his family to let him know we were thinking about him through this tough time."

Nine different stations were set up where students would race against the clock to accomplish a silly and fun task in one minute. The Samford student-athletes helped keep the activities organized and helped support the students.

"When new classes would come in, we would take the kids to their group," Samford senior softball player Arica Dykes said. "And then our Samford guys would stay with the groups as they went through the Minute to Win It and cheered them on and helped them out. We just supported them and made it fun for them. I think we had as much fun as the kids did, really. We played with them and got to do that kind of stuff."

Over 40 Samford student-athletes participated in the event throughout the day.

"The kids were so excited to get the opportunity to hang out with the Samford athletes that came to Brock's Gap and we greatly appreciate those student-athletes taking time to come and support Cooper and Brock's Gap," Shaffer said. "It meant so much to the kids that these Samford students showed up, and I know Cooper would have been their number one fan if he could have been able to make it that day."

Shaffer said the event raised close to $2,500 to help Cooper.

"It truly shows how Samford Athletics will always be family," Shaffer said. "I graduated three years ago from Samford and it is so encouraging to see all the support from just about every team show up to help support this fundraiser at Brock's Gap Intermediate School."