Long-time NDN readers will have heard the stories of Willie, Andy’s larger-than-life friend.  Subtlety was not his watchword, and his hijinks tended to draw the wrath of administrators large and small.

While Willie has mellowed a bit in his post-Notre Dame life, he still believes in going big or going home — an attitude that extends to his philanthropic endeavors as well.  The charity he helped found, Catch a Lift, will be featured tonight at 6pm ET on the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley.

Catch a Lift was founded as a memorial to Willie’s friend, Corporal Chris Coffland.  Coffland believed strongly in the benefits of physical fitness.  He felt exercise contributed the most to a healthy mind and body, and helped others seek “a well-balanced life” through that regimen.  When he was headed to the gym, he would tell friends he was going to “catch a lift”, so it was only logical that phrase was used to name the group in his honor.

After Coffland died in a roadside bomb explosion in Afghanistan in 2009, Willie helped found the CAL fund to apply Coffland’s philosophy to aid wounded veterans.  Through gifted gym memberships or home exercise equipment, CAL helps vets return to mental and physical fitness through the exercise regimens Coffman believed in so strongly.

For those of you going to the Texas game next year, Catch a Lift will be sponsoring an event in Austin, TX, next fall, and we’ll be bringing you more information about it when the date gets closer.  In the meantime, if you find yourself with donation money looking for a home, want to spend some time or effort volunteering to help CAL’s mission, or just want to learn more about Cpl. Coffland and his effect on those who knew him, you can get more information from the foundation’s website, accessible via this link.