woodbuck27
07-17-2006, 12:43 AM
Published on Sunday, July 16, 2006
Vonta-ful experience
By Sammy Batten
Staff writer
http://www.fayettevillenc.com/photos/2006/07/1C90716C-scaled.jpg
Green Bay fullback Vonta Leach gets the attention of kids at a football camp at South Robeson High School in Rowland on Saturday. Leach held the camp to help raise money for his former high school.
ROWLAND  Even though Vonta Leach has made it to the big time as an NFL football player, he hasn’t forgotten the people and places who helped get him there.
The Green Bay Packers fullback was home Friday and Saturday trying to give something back to both his old high school and the community that remains his offseason residence.
A fundraising dinner Friday evening, hosted by Leach, attracted a crowd of about 150 at the Black Water Grille in Lumberton, including U.S. Congressman Mike McIntyre. He followed up Saturday with the first Vonta Leach Football Camp at South Robeson High School where about 80 players between the ages of 12-18 received instruction from Leach and other NFL players.
“I would have liked for the crowd to have been bigger today, but you have to start somewhere,’à ƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢ Leach said Saturday after cutting the camp short due to the humid weather conditions.
Proceeds from the dinner and camp will benefit South Robeson, where Leach was the Cape Fear region Player of the Year in 1999, and economic development in Robeson County.
Green Bay teammates Samkon Gado (running back) and Jason Horton (cornerback) along with ex-East Carolina teammates Brian Rimpf (Baltimore Ravens), Damane Duckett (New York Giants) and Terrance Copper (Dallas Cowboys) were in town to assist Leach with what began as a simple idea.
“It started out with me just wanting to have a little football camp where the kids would come, we’d talk to them and give them a T-shirt,’à¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢ Leach said.
“But then I got to meeting with a group of professional people around the county and the thing just got bigger and bigger. We added the dinner and had sponsors coming on to do this and that. We got a lot of different support from a lot of different people all around the county.
“Itââ €šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s been a very rewarding experience. Hopefully, we can grow a little bit every year and maybe make a little difference here.â€™à€™
Leach will begin his third season with the Packers this fall. He’s spent the past two seasons as a backup to veteran William Henderson at fullback and as a star on the Packers’ special teams.
Note: Staff writer Sammy Batten can be reached at battens@fayettevillenc.com
Vonta-ful experience
By Sammy Batten
Staff writer
http://www.fayettevillenc.com/photos/2006/07/1C90716C-scaled.jpg
Green Bay fullback Vonta Leach gets the attention of kids at a football camp at South Robeson High School in Rowland on Saturday. Leach held the camp to help raise money for his former high school.
ROWLAND  Even though Vonta Leach has made it to the big time as an NFL football player, he hasn’t forgotten the people and places who helped get him there.
The Green Bay Packers fullback was home Friday and Saturday trying to give something back to both his old high school and the community that remains his offseason residence.
A fundraising dinner Friday evening, hosted by Leach, attracted a crowd of about 150 at the Black Water Grille in Lumberton, including U.S. Congressman Mike McIntyre. He followed up Saturday with the first Vonta Leach Football Camp at South Robeson High School where about 80 players between the ages of 12-18 received instruction from Leach and other NFL players.
“I would have liked for the crowd to have been bigger today, but you have to start somewhere,’à ƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢ Leach said Saturday after cutting the camp short due to the humid weather conditions.
Proceeds from the dinner and camp will benefit South Robeson, where Leach was the Cape Fear region Player of the Year in 1999, and economic development in Robeson County.
Green Bay teammates Samkon Gado (running back) and Jason Horton (cornerback) along with ex-East Carolina teammates Brian Rimpf (Baltimore Ravens), Damane Duckett (New York Giants) and Terrance Copper (Dallas Cowboys) were in town to assist Leach with what began as a simple idea.
“It started out with me just wanting to have a little football camp where the kids would come, we’d talk to them and give them a T-shirt,’à¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢ Leach said.
“But then I got to meeting with a group of professional people around the county and the thing just got bigger and bigger. We added the dinner and had sponsors coming on to do this and that. We got a lot of different support from a lot of different people all around the county.
“Itââ €šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s been a very rewarding experience. Hopefully, we can grow a little bit every year and maybe make a little difference here.â€™à€™
Leach will begin his third season with the Packers this fall. He’s spent the past two seasons as a backup to veteran William Henderson at fullback and as a star on the Packers’ special teams.
Note: Staff writer Sammy Batten can be reached at battens@fayettevillenc.com