Young fans of the Jacksonville Jaguars had an opportunity to meet two of the organization’s biggest stars Thursday, March 13, during a special event at the Kids Zone at THE PLAYERS Championship.
Hosted by Nemours Children’s Health, the official Youth Sponsor of the tournament, the event celebrated the 20th anniversary of the pediatric health system’s Reading BrightStart! program, which specializes in developing research-based products, resources and services to promote a strong reading foundation for children.
Nemours President and CEO Dr. R. Lawrence Moss explained the program’s value.
“What is something you can do for your child before third grade that will add 20 years of life expectancy and cut incidence of diabetes and heart disease in half?” Moss asked families attending the event, answering the question himself: Reading. “Literacy is the single most powerful and important predictor of health. At Nemours, we deliver medical care to kids who desperately need it -- and that’s important for a small subset of kids -- but for the large population of children, the thing that will set them on a healthy life trajectory is reading.”
An important point, especially to the adults in the room, but for the kids, the main attractions were Jaguars mascot Jaxson de Ville and wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.
As the children gathered round, Thomas read aloud a book penned by Jaxon de Ville: “Jaxson’s Big Jump.”
Afterward, the children received backpacks filled with Jaguars memorabilia and copies of the book, which they had the opportunity to get autographed by Thomas and Jaxson.
Thomas said he was “super excited to partner with Nemours Children’s Health” because, coming from Louisiana, he wanted to find a way to become part of the community and that he wanted to do something for kids.
Moss also praised The PGA Tour, which he said has done much for Nemours.
“It’s a deep relationship that we value very, very highly,” he said.
He mentioned that children suffering with cancer receive treatment at THE PLAYERS Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders.
The two partners are headquartered locally but have a much wider reach than this area. Nemours is headquartered in Jacksonville with a presence in six states along the East Coast. The PGA Tour is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach and has a global presence.
PLAYERS Executive Director Lee Smith also spoke briefly during the presentation, praising Nemours for its work in treating its young patients.
“What better partnership for us with such a great medical institution, and a great man, Dr. Moss,” said Smith, emphasizing a desire to grow that partnership in the years ahead.
“One of our targets and objectives is to make a positive impact within the community in which we play,” he told those assembled for the event.
