Shrine Bowl a special event for Clear Lake athlete

(Above) Brock Brandt (right) had the opportunity to play in the Iowa Shrine Bowl in July.  Brandt can see the benefits of the work the Shriner’s do, as his cousin, Jacob Rickard, was born with cerebral palsy and the Shrine Hospital has provided support services for him.  -Submitted photo

Brock Brandt has always thought that football was fun, but over the summer the All-State football player from Clear Lake said the game took on special meaning.  As a member of the North Team playing in the 44th Annual Iowa Shrine Bowl, Brandt had the opportunity to combine the game he loves with the chance to meet kids helped by the Shriner’s Hospitals for Children.

“Our team lost, but we had the most fun,” said Brandt about the July 23 game played at the UNI-Dome.

He said the week-long Shrine Bowl experience was filled with activities and workouts with 46 fellow Iowa high school senior football standouts.

“It was nice to get in some light football,” said Brandt, who left shortly after the Shrine Bowl to begin pre-season football lifting for the University of South Dakota football program.  The 6’5”, 285-pounder was red-shirted as a freshman, but expects to make an impact on the Coyotes offensive line in 2016.

Players are selected to participate in the Shrine Bowl through a process of nomination by coaches, balloting by state-wide sports media professionals, and official invitation from a representative of the Iowa Shrine Bowl.  Each fall the Iowa High School coaches are requested to recommend a defensive and offensive player whom he feels will be a good representative of his school and community.  He is not only a good athlete, but also one who is also academically successful, and active in school and community activities.

“For many, this will be the game of their life because when they line up each and every one will also be stepping up to help a child who has been less fortunate in life than them and who desperately need their help,” said Jerry Hoffman, with the Iowa Shrine Bowl.

That was definitely the case for Brandt.

“The best part of the Shrine Bowl was meeting the kids who came to camp at the UNI-Dome.  We played with them and helped them take part in drills.  It was great to see them having fun, but I think we had an even better time,” he said.  In addition to his time spent at the Shrine Bowl event, Brandt said he has had the opportunity to see the benefits of the Shrine organization in his own family and he was pleased to help promote the non-profit organization. Brock’s cousin, Jacob Rickard, was born with cerebral palsy.  The Shrine Hospital has helped Jacob and his parents, Julie and David Rickard, with many different support services.

To date, the Iowa Shrine Bowl has raised over $2,268,000 for The Shriner’s Hospitals for Children through ticket sales, advertising in the Shrine Bowl program, merchandise sales, contributions and sponsorships.

Brandt noted he was encouraged to participate in the Shrine Bowl by his father, Scott, who was also an outstanding high school player at Clear Lake who went on to play Division I ball at Iowa State University.  At that time Shrine Bowl players traveled to Minneapolis to visit children in a Shrine Hospital.

“I liked that we met kids on the football field.  Players and cheerleaders worked with kids to help them do things, like kick a field goal with a prosthetic leg,” explained Brandt.  “There were lots of smiles.  It made football a lot of fun.”