Chicago Bears’ Jordan Howard Auctions Dec.4 Game Cleats to Benefit Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation
Jordan Howard, the lead rusher for the Chicago Bears, is now auctioning his game-day Dec. 4 cleats in the NFL’s inaugural My Cause, My Cleats campaign to support the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) and the pulmonary fibrosis (PF) community.
The auction is open until Dec. 18, and the public can bid on the custom-made Adidas teal and lime-green cleats, worn by Howard during the Bears’ 26–6 win over the San Francisco 49ers — a game in which Howard rushed for a total of 117 yards and scored three touchdowns. The cleats are up for online bidding at teampff.org, with all proceeds benefitting the PFF.
Games played during the opening weekend of December — the NFL’s Cause Cleat Week, an awareness and fundraising event — let participating players wearing modified cleats that would later be put up for auction to benefit a charity of their choice, a press release reported.
Jordan Howard’s game cleats honoring his father, “Doc” Howard.
Howard, 22, chose the PFF to honor his father, Reginald B. “Doc” Howard, who died of complications associated with PF at age 52, after battling the disease for nine years.
“My father was an active, athletic man in the prime of his life when he was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis,” Howard, 22, said on his PFF page. “The diagnosis did not stop him from being a loving father and did not prevent him from helping prepare me for life and the game of football. I believe his diagnosis inspired him to enjoy life and his family even more.”
Howard joined with the PFF in November, to raise funds supporting research toward a cure and disease awareness.
At the time, Patti Tuomey, president and chief executive officer of PFF, said: “Jordan Howard offers new hope to the community of 200,000 people fighting pulmonary fibrosis. We share with Jordan an unwavering commitment to find a cure for all who are affected by this disease.”
In related news, the PFF is now organizing its fourth biennial international healthcare conference, the PFF Summit 2017, which will take place in Nashville, Tennessee. For more information about the summit, you can call 844.TalkPFF (844.825.5733) or +1.312.587.9272 (from outside of the U.S.). The PFF Summit brings together researchers, physicians, health professionals, industry representatives, patients, and caregivers.
