Well, getting up and getting out at 6:30 this morning turned out to be worth it. Mark and about eight other patients were taken to the Super Bowl Breakfast which was sponsored by the Athletes In Action organization. This breakfast takes place every year the morning before the game where the Bart Starr Award is given to one of three candidates who exemplify leadership and philanthropy. The nominees this year were Warrick Dunn of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kurt Warner of the Arizona Cardinals, and Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints. This year the award was given to Warrick Dunn.
Mark, as you can see, met Bart Starr and added his signature to his growing list of autographs. He said the food was okay but the breakfast as a whole was "awesome". Some of the other NFL notables there were Tony Dungy and Lee Roy Selmon. The Hall of Famers made the guys feel very welcome and were very supportive.
Mark called us from the bus on the way back to the hospital and was very excited about having met and heard such good speakers. I have to say that the NFL has gone above and beyond in including our soldiers in the Super Bowl festivities. The visits and the appearances have been great. It means a lot to these boys who sometimes feel frustrated and forgotten during the long months spent in a hospital. It's nice to see them recognized for the heroes they are.