Pitt chills out for charity
The football team takes part in the “Cool Down for Warmth” campaign.
On their way to work Friday morning, some Downtown Pittsburgh commuters were confronted by defensive linemen and chased down by linebackers from the Pitt football team.
No, Pat Narduzzi wasn’t conducting a practice in Market Square, but he and 11 gridiron Panthers took on the challenge of the Ice House, a frozen structure built by local non-profit Dollar Energy Fund to raise awareness and donations for those in the community who struggle to pay for utility services, especially heat in the winter.
As part of the organization’s “Cool Down for Warmth” campaign, Pitt volunteered to get involved as part of its community service endeavors, and players “chilled out” for about an hour while asking passersby if they could spare a few bucks for the initiative.
“We never make it mandatory,” Narduzzi said. “It’s guys that wanna give back. … It’s not just all about football; there’s a life out there. Some people wanna make it all about wins and losses, but to me, our guys are winning today. They’re 12-0 today.”
To their credit, they didn’t just pass the time idly while freezing in the makeshift house (complete with frozen dinner table, kitchen sink and bathroom). Defensive lineman Patrick Jones, linebacker Elias Reynolds and defensive back Rimoni Dorsey mostly posted up in between Primanti Bros. and Poros Restaurant, bringing back donations as often as possible.
Wide receiver Shocky Jacques-Louis, a freshman who just enrolled earlier this month, had no qualms about stopping strangers on the street and asking for support. Not that Narduzzi was surprised the new guy from Fort Myers, Fla., had that in him. On a recruiting visit to Pitt, Jacques-Louis got a tour of the Cathedral of Learning and made a stop at Heinz Chapel, where Narduzzi watched in awe as the freshman put some of his money in the collection basket.
“Just an unbelievable kid in that respect,” Narduzzi said. “It’s just impressive.”
“That’s always been my thing, to help people,” said Jacques-Louis, who graduated high school early to enroll at Pitt. “When I see people needing something, I’m always trying to give them something, because that’s just the way the world should be. You shouldn’t be selfish with the things you get, and usas football players, we get a lot, so we should always try to give to people that need.”
From a practical standpoint, he’s still getting acclimated to Pittsburgh weather, which made him even more appreciative Friday of the task. Many of his new teammates wore winter jackets they received for the Pinstripe Bowl played two Decembers ago in New York, and Florida native wide receiver Rafael Araujo-Lopes was bundled up only slightly less than Ralphie’s little brother from “A Christmas Story.”
Other Panthers present included standout tailback Darrin Hall, starting defensive end Rashad Weaver and Jacques-Louis’ guide to Western Pennsylvania, fellow mid-year addition Jake Kradel of nearby Butler High School.
“Any chance we get to make an impact, I think we need to take advantage of that. I think it’s important to bring awareness to some of the different issues in our society. Let’s not just get tunnel vision and think ‘football, football, football,’” Araujo-Lopes said. “Anybody that walked by, we just reached out a hand and tried to make them feel welcome.”
Another perk for those who passed by were free tickets to the Pitt men’s basketball game Feb. 11 against Louisville. One driver pulled his car around, yelled out the window “Go Pitt!” and was rewarded with two seats from “Roc the Panther” like a drive-thru.
Dollar Energy Fund CEO Chad Quinn set a goal of $100,000 for the fourth annual “Cool Down for Warmth” event, and donations can be made via text (GIVE5 for $5 or GIVE10 for $10 to 50555) or online at crowdrise.com/ Cool Down for Warmth 2018. Just before noon, the website showed $68,895 pledged, right around the time the Ice House would start to thaw out as temperatures neared 50degrees.
Here’s hoping Narduzzi and company have defrosted bynow, too.
“We’re just really glad Pitt that came down to support us,” said Jody Robertson, director of communications for Dollar Energy Fund. “It was a huge boost to us, so we appreciate it.”