GENEROSITY OF BUSINESSES HELPS NORTHWEST GUILFORD FOOTBALL PROGRAM
GREENSBORO— Northwest Guilford High School’s athletic department has announced that three local businesses with personal ties to the Northwest football program have contributed funds to allow the athletic program to purchase high quality football helmets to help prevent head injuries.
Thorough the generous contributions of Hilco Transport, Kernersville Chrysler Dodge, and Berico Fuels, the current and future players at Northwest Guilford will be getting state of the art protective football helmets similar to what local college teams use.
Gurney and Jon Long of Hilco Transport, along with former Northwest football player and current varsity boys basketball coach Lee Reavis, began to contact other local businesses with ties to Northwest football to raise money to purchase new helmets. This occurred after an article appeared in the Greensboro News and Record on May 11th that referenced football helmet safety and new, safer helmets being used at the college level. In addition, there has been a lot of media and statewide attention focused on head injuries and concussions in high school football culminating with the North Carolina state legislature passing the Gfeller-Waller Concussion Awareness Act in June.
Stepping up to help were Hilco Transport and the Long family, Kernersville Chrysler Dodge with Tim and Blake Mitchell and Berico Fuels with Tom Berry. Gurney Long (NWHS alumnus), Jon Long (NWHS class of 2003), Blake Mitchell (NWHS Class of 2003), and Will Berry (NWHS class of 2001, Tom’s son) were all outstanding student athletes at Northwest High and standout members of the Viking football team.
John Hughes, athletic director at Northwest Guilford, said, “The Northwest High School administration, athletic department, and football booster club would like to extend our gratitude to these local businesses for their support of our football student athletes.”
The NCHSAA salutes businesses all over the state which are so supportive of NCHSAA member schools and are interested in the welfare of student-athletes.
