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Boys of Fall continue tradition of raising funds for Clay community
Braxton Sampson has always had a place in his heart for helping others.
As much as he’s helped Northview’s football and basketball teams during the course of his four years on gridiron and hardwood, the biggest impact Sampson’s made has come from his work around the Clay County community.
The senior’s desire to make life easier for those in need dates back to when he walked into his third-grade classroom one morning to find one of his classmates crying at her desk.
Sampson asked her what was wrong.
Her response? Her mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer.
Unsure of what he could do to help, Sampson went home and discussed the matter with his mom, Sasha. Together, they came up with an idea that has since morphed into a foundation called the Boys of Fall.
“We had a friend in third grade. We came to school and she was just really upset. She said that her mom had breast cancer. Me and my friends talked about it and then I went home and talked to my mom about it. We said, ‘We want to do something about this,’ but back then, the only thing we knew was football. So, I asked my mom if we could have a game for her, in honor of her. She was like, ‘Yeah, we can probably figure something out,’” explained Sampson. “So, we went and talked to the [Clay Youth Football League] about it. They were all in. And then people started hearing about it and they wanted to help out and be apart of it. The community really came together, and it turned out to be a really good thing.”
Sampson was inspired by the turnout of the community and saw how raising money for his friend’s mother could go a long way in helping her fight against breast cancer.
So, he made sure it wasn’t just a one-time event.
Ever since the first football game, Sampson, along with other former Clay Youth Football League players and current Northview players, has walked around downtown Brazil asking the different businesses if they would like to donate whatever funds they have available to help one of their fellow Clay County residents who are in a fight against a physical ailment or disease and could use a little monetary help to afford the care they need to treat it.
“We keep it in the community. We try to find someone in the community that’s always been there for everyone else and now they need some help,” he said. “We just want to help them out.”
On Wednesday, Sampson was joined by Devon Barnhart, Nathan Bryan, Garrett Lovins, Dillon White and Dalton Simmons to represent the Boys of Fall as they walked to businesses such as Bits N Bites, Back 40, Jenni Marietta State Farm, Pappy’s, Lynn’s Pharmacy and Ace Hardware to pick up their donations for this year’s fundraiser, while also thanking them for making an impact on a Clay County member’s life.
With Sampson being in his final year at Northview, Wednesday also marked the last Boys of Fall fundraiser he would be in charge of. He, however, is hopeful that one of his teammates will step into his role and carry on the tradition for years to come.
“This is huge. We’ve done this for most of my life,” said Sampson. “I hope people continue to pick it up and continue to do this because it’s a really good way to bring the community together. It’s a good thing.”