Goodbye George

NDN regulars may remember the name George Porter-Young. Last April, an article in the Observer talked about his battle with bone cancer and the fact that he hadn't been home to England in 42 years.

A number of posters on the site participated in a funding drive to allow George one final visit with his family, as his myelodysplastic syndrome was considered terminal. Thanks to their generosity, George was able to travel to England and say goodbye to the family he hadn't seen in so long.

I was told today that George died a couple of weeks ago. Before his death, he asked that the people who made his trip possible be told how grateful he was and how much of a load off his mind it was that he had been able to do it.

NDNation makes me crazy sometimes, and I ask myself why I do this. Then I remember things like this we've been able to do because of the high-quality people we have reading and posting. My thanks to all of you who helped make George's dream come true. You're part of what makes Notre Dame great.

Irish Philanthropy

When discussing Fighting Irish players in the pro ranks, two things always jump to the fore. First, they sound like college graduates when interviewed. Second, they give back to the community.

Today, former Notre Dame defensive stalwart Justin Tuck added another bullet to his philanthropy resume. He will be joining up with Ronnie Lott's All Stars Helping Kids, an organization whose mission is to "promote a safe, healthy and rigorous learning environment for disadvantaged children".

Tuck will formally announce this new venture on December 9th at the organization's second annual Sports, Business and Philanthropy Luncheon at The Sports Museum of America in New York City. He already is the founder of “Tuck’s R.U.S.H. for Literacy”, which brings new books to his hometown in Alabama and underprivileged children in the New York City area.

For more information about the luncheon, please see the form on the ASHK website.