Lonie Paxton put his Active Force Foundation on the map in Colorado in a big way last Thursday when his 2010 NFL Draft Party and Bowling Bash brought out stars and heroes to share in a perfect strike of fundraising excitement at Brunswick Zone in Lone Tree.The stars came in the form of Paxton, the Denver Broncos’ long-snapper, and 15 of his teammates, including All-Pro cornerback Champ Bailey, quarterbacks Kyle Orton and Brady Quinn, starting tight end Daniel Graham and run-stoppers Darrell Reid, Ronald Fields and Mario Haggan.
But the real stars of the night were heroes from the U.S. Army’s Warrior Transition Battalion at Fort Carson, Colo. A group of 54 soldiers and family members from that unit were the honored guests of Active Force Foundation, invited to share in the fun of the night and have a good time bowling and watching the draft with guests, sponsors and NFL players.
Active Force Foundation was created by Paxton and friend Brook Duquesnel in 2003 to build adaptive sports equipment and create programs for disabled athletes and wounded soldiers to enjoy outdoor recreational sports. Together they teamed up with engineer Jason Yim to build unique four-wheel mountain bikes that create a “level playing field” for all athletes to experience the rush of traversing a wilderness trail.The event was Active Force’s first in Colorado. Paxton started the foundation during his nine-year stint with the New England Patriots (2000-08), and sees tremendous opportunities for growth since his 2009 free-agent signing with the Broncos. The move was not only a positive one for his football career, but Colorado’s abundant mountain terrain and large military presence make it a natural home for Active Force Foundation to take its fundraising and programming to new heights.
By the nature of their position, long-snappers mostly fly under the radar—and that’s just fine with Paxton. But off the field he has big goals for the reach of AFF’s mission and the impact the Foundation can have on people’s lives.Last Thursday’s Draft Party and Bowling Bash showed the Active Force Foundation is well on its way to gathering the kind of momentum and support that make its goals fully attainable.
Congratulations to Lonie, Brook and Jason, and a special thank-you to Paul Sheehy and ProStar Sports. It was a pleasure to work with them on this event.
--Paul Kirk/ProLink Sports
www.prolinksports.net
Follow us on Twitter
Become a Fan on Facebook
