Peoria, Ill — A Peoria-area softball coach seems to have discovered a new passion in life…giving.
“I’m teaching my girls how important it is to give back”, said 309 Elite team coach and Washington, Ill resident Couri Fries on WMBD’s “The Craig Collins Show” Tuesday.
He says he has discovered this new passion in the time since his younger brother, pictured above, was diagnosed with T-cell Leukemia, a type of cancer. He says he was deeply moved to watch as people came together from all across the country to show his ailing brother love and support.
“…messaged my brother, sent my brother baseball gloves, sent him tickets, shirts…and the support has kept my brother alive.”
Fries continued, “so I felt in my heard that I need to give back as well.”
Right now, he and the 309 Elite traveling softball team are collecting Thanksgiving turkeys and sides for needy families. As of Tuesday, they had turkeys for 7 families.
But he wants to go even further for Christmas.
Fries says he intends to launch a GoFundMe page with the aim of raising funds for a toy-drive of sorts during the Christmas season.
“I’m hoping to adopt a family — or families. I want to get a Christmas list from the families and then I want my girls to go Christmas shopping for the families.”
Fries says he also wants to use this effort to help raise awareness to cancer-related issues.
The local coach says all donors can find him on Facebook as well as the 309 Elite team and make contact from there.
CORRECTION: Original story said Fries’ brother suffered from lung cancer. That is incorrect. His brother was diagnosed with T-cell Leukemia
