A Florida community rallied together and raised $20,000 to surprise a longtime Pop Warner football coach with a brand new car.
Residents of Winter Park showed their appreciation for the many years of work and dedication Kenny Hodges has given to the community with an emotional surprise on Saturday.
When Hodges entered Gator’s Dockside expecting to grab some food, he was greeted by a group of supporters from his decades-long youth football career, including parents, coaches, and current and former players.
Hodges, a military veteran, has been a coach and commissioner for a local youth football league for more than 30 years. However, Katie Shouvlin, the organizer of the fundraiser, and others have seen Hodges struggle to get to away games because of his unreliable car, frequently hitching rides with others.
“I’ve noticed that some of these far-away games have been very difficult to get transportation because he couldn’t trust his own vehicle. He could get close to home, but he couldn’t get far away,” Pop Warner coach Anthony Hurd said. “He’d always have to get a ride from someone else. That kind of was the impetus behind this. ‘Hey, look, there’s an opportunity here.’
“There’s not a kid out there that doesn’t love coach Kenny,” Hurd added.
Coach Kenny Hodges got the surprise of his life
On behalf of the organization, Hodges received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the group gathered at Gator’s Dockside. When he isn’t coaching youth football, Hodges works with kids who have behavioral issues.
“We’ve had kids that are in middle school give out of their savings account just because they’re like, ‘We’re going to help Coach Kenny? Of course, we’ll do anything for Coach Kenny,” Shouvlin told WESH News.
Coach Hodges was stunned when, in addition to the award, the group pointed to a brand-new car outside the restaurant window, adorned with a large red bow.
“It’s beautiful, man, I didn’t know all these people cared about me,” he said from the seat of his new ride. “This is one of the best days of my life. I’m never going to forget this.”