The East West Shrine Bowl will be held at AT&T Stadium on Jan. 30.
ARLINGTON, Texas — It’s a cause for celebration.
The East West Shrine Bowl is a postseason college football All-Star game. This year, it will take place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Thursday, Jan. 30.
For the players, it’s a chance to showcase their talents for scouts and prospective teams ahead of April’s NFL Draft. However, the benefits of the game extend far beyond the playing field.
The “Shrine” in Shrine Bowl refers to the event’s sponsor Shriners International — the group that owns Shriners Hospitals for Children, which receive some of the proceeds from the annual event.
As part of the week-long festivities, Shriners ambassadors (patients from various hospitals in the country) spend some time with the players.
“You get to have fun with new friends,” said Gabi, a Shriners child ambassador who was also at last year’s event in Frisco. “I also want to do this next year because what we’re doing here is awesome.”
As for the players trying to make it big, days like these help them see the bigger picture.
“It’s one of those days that puts things in perspective for you,” said former Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne. “Get to come out here. Be around these kids. Hopefully put a smile on their face.”
Speaking of pictures, the Shrine Bowl logo was inspired by a photo taken in 1974. The image shows Mike Esposito — then a football player for Boston College wearing No. 26 – comforting a 2-year-old girl named Nicole Urteaga who was a patient at Shriners.
This week, the two reunited for another photo more than 50 years later.
“It warms my heart,” said Urteaga. “I’m a special ed teacher. And all of my students are orthopedically impaired and also patients at Shriners Hospital. So, it’s full circle.”
A full circle moment while the next generations create their own memories to cherish for years to come.
