Dec. 31, 2015
Full FIM BattleFrog Fiesta Bowl Coverage | Today’s Videos | Today’s Top Tweets
By Leigh Torbin
PHOENIX, Ariz. –
Thursday morning at the J.W. Marriott Camelback Inn, Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly and Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer joined together for a brief press conference. It was of no real significance.
Thursday morning at the St. Mary’s Food Bank, Paqui Kelly and Shelley Meyer joined hands helping package over 82,000 pounds of food for the homeless and others in dire need. It was of the utmost significance in the lives of thousands.
No stranger to helping the afflicted as the President of the Kelly Cares Foundation which has re-distributed over $2.5 million to non-profits, Paqui, on behalf of the wives of the Irish coaching and support staff, gladly accepted an invitation to join Shelley and the Buckeye staff wives for this service event.
“Anyone can do it and everyone should do it,” Kelly said of the Irish lending a hand for the Fiesta Bowl’s local community. “Helping others that are in need is the main thing here. There are people in need everywhere. This is a very easy thing to do. We are here all week. We were glad to be invited to help out. There are a lot of giving people in the Notre Dame family.”
Whether the community in question is South Bend or Arizona, hunger is hunger and a fellow human in need is still a fellow human in need. Kelly and her friends were thrilled to do whatever they could.
“We all have a community that we come from and are joining this community this week here in Arizona,” Kelly said. “But, more importantly, there are people in need everywhere. We have our own foundation we work with and do things in the community but we try to do outreach everywhere.”
Although many naturally associate the Kelly Cares Foundation with breast cancer in recognition of Paqui, a two-time survivor, helping the hungry is also a part of the charity. The Food Bank of Northern Indiana is among scores of non-profit organizations supported by donations to the Kelly Cares Foundation.
“Brian and I have our family foundation and we have a broad pillar of health, community and education,” Paqui said. “We raise funds to help other non-profits that fall under any of those three. We’ve been blessed that in the last five years we’ve given over $2.5 million dollars to people in need.”
About 35 Irish coaching and support wives, along with several of their children, lent a hand on Thursday morning. Battle lines may divide the scarlet and gray from the blue and gold on Friday, but in a massive Phoenix warehouse, they were united for the common good on Thursday. In an hour and a half’s time, 5,160 boxes of food containing non-perishables like rice, pasta and beans, were compiled to be shipped around the Grand Canyon State.
“There’s a great showing both from ND and Ohio State coming full force,” Kelly said. “The more hands, the easier the workload. There are people in need and there’s plenty of hands here to help.”
The great ladies behind Our Lady’s team helping out at St. Mary’s arm-in-arm with potential rivals? There may not be a more fitting way for all involved to spend the final day of 2015.
Today’s Video Content
Today’s Top Tweets
Two historical programs. One Fiesta Bowl Trophy. #NDvsOSU
January 1, 2016 | 1PM ET | ESPN pic.twitter.com/k6Osf81Qdq
– Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) December 31, 2015
“You’re going to have two teams that have a resolve and have a will; it’s not just about size, skill and speed.” pic.twitter.com/LF6c2m0iwi
– Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) December 31, 2015
24 HOURS.
#FiestaBowl pic.twitter.com/eTX3KJ4kjl
– Fiesta Bowl (@Fiesta_Bowl) December 31, 2015
Tip of the cap to this young lady & other @NDFootball coaching staff wives at a community service event this am… pic.twitter.com/QBb58zvQBp
– Michael Bertsch (@NDsidBertschy) December 31, 2015
Thanks OSU Coaches Wives for inviting ND Wives to St.Marys Food Bank to load food boxes. 5,000 boxes of food loaded pic.twitter.com/o43VjwcDSN
– Beth Elston (@beth_elston) December 31, 2015
Brutus wanted to pound fist with my daughter! She wasn’t having any of that!!! Taught her well!!
#BeatOSU pic.twitter.com/JKmO2yq1o3
– Mike Elston (@CoachMikeElston) December 31, 2015
Editor’s note: That was funny
Last TV production meeting of the year. @JaeeSmiff9ENT talking with ESPN’s crew now. #SIDlife pic.twitter.com/Wv9SzzgA8l
– Leigh Torbin (@LTorbin) December 31, 2015
Unbelievable experience today at Luke Air Force Base #goirish pic.twitter.com/g3eYAqGHVu
– Ryan Grooms (@NDFBEquipment) January 1, 2016
“Let’s get it done tomorrow, for each other and for Notre Dame.”
#BeatOSU pic.twitter.com/gQHxEBhXVH
– Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) December 31, 2015
The final practice for #Team127 is in the books.
There’s only one thing left to do… #FiestaBowl pic.twitter.com/ZCt84pTTIe
– Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) December 31, 2015
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Leigh Torbin, athletics communications assistant director at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since 2013 and serves as the football publicity team’s top lieutenant while coordinating all media efforts for Irish women’s lacrosse. A native of Framingham, Massachusetts, Torbin graduated from the University of Massachusetts in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in sports management. He has previously worked full-time on the athletic communications staffs at Vanderbilt, Florida, Connecticut and UCF.