On Thursday afternoon, NFL running back Shane Vereen had finished his offseason workouts with the New York Giants and was waiting to board a plane.
For the fourth year in a row, he was getting on that plane with a purpose.
On Sunday, June 25, Vereen will host a youth football camp at his alma mater, Valencia High school.
“It’s a good feeling,” Vereen said of returning to Valencia. “I texted some guys that are coming and we’ve just been talking about how we’re looking forward to it.
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“…I would’ve loved to be able to go to camps like this when I was a kid.”
The proceeds of the camp will go to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
Vereen’s inspiration to donate to Children’s Hospital stemmed from his relationship with David Stroud, a Valencia basketball player who was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2008 and later died in 2011 of liver failure at age 19.
Stroud was Vereen’s next-door neighbor growing up.
“The overarching reason, the real reason we’re doing the camp is to benefit the kids at Children’s Hospital and I think being able to give back to the cause, to the hospital, is just something you can’t pass up on,” Vereen said.
Players at the camp will go through offensive and defensive drills, some that the Giants themselves do.
“And just have fun, that’s the biggest thing,” said Vereen. “Learn a lot about the game and have some fun at the end.
“I just hope that they have a good time, meet some cool guests and enjoy just playing the game of football Sunday night.”
The camp is open to kids ages 6 to 13 years old and will run from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The $50 fee includes a t-shirt, picture and post-camp meal.
More details on how to register can be found at vereenplaymakersfootballcamp.siplay.com.