- MSU Football players visited UM Health-Sparrow patients during their bye week to hand out plushies and meet young fans.
- The visit comes with the "Battle for the Houses" rivalry between the Ronald McDonald Houses of Mid-Michigan and Ann Arbor.
- Video shows MSU athletes walking through UM Health-Sparrow and spending time with young patients.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
(WSYM) - There may not be a gameday in East Lansing this Saturday, but MSU Football is spending their bye week well.
MSU Football's partnership with Ronald McDonald House of Mid-Michigan allowed the Spartans to pay a visit to some of U of M Sparrow's youngest patients.
"We know we have an impact here on the community. We want to be able to be more than football players. We want to be people who impact the Lansing area."
Some Spartans stopped by the hospital to hand out plushies and meet some young fans.
The visit comes with the rivalry football game between Michigan and Michigan State just a few weeks away.
But one matchup has already begun.
The Battle for the Houses is a friendly competition between the Ronald McDonald House of Mid-Michigan and the Ronald McDonald House of Ann Arbor to see which house can raise the most money and volunteer the most hours.
"To have played in this rivalry and been so much a part of this rivalry to be able to bring it off the field and into the hospital and into these young men who are able to volunteer, to be able to bring it into the community, to help both houses grow, I mean this has been a phenomenal experience."
Duckett was the inspiration for Battle of the Houses and connected with the Ronald McDonald House of Ann Arbor back in 2022 where his son, X, was born with half a heart.
"He's had three heart surgeries and he just had his last one in the beginning of August"
Despite his son's troubles, Duckett has inspired the current Spartan Football players to pay it forward.
"Seeing the smiling faces on the kids, being able to walk around and right now give them little teddy bears, just having the ability to do that"
I'm Dominic Carroll, FOX 47 News.
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