Football is family.
The Noc-Pal Athletic Association will donate the proceeds from an upcoming football camp with the Jacksonville Sharks to Parker Anderson, the Fruit Cove boy severely injured in an e-bike crash this week.
The inaugural Jacksonville Sharks Skills & Drills Youth Football Camp, hosted by NPAA Sports, is slated for Wednesday, May 7 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Nease Panthers Stadium in Ponte Vedra.
NPAA announced Wednesday that they plan to donate their take from the event to Anderson, a 12-year-old youth football player for Creeks Outlaws who suffered a skull fracture in the accident.
The camp — which will feature players and coaches from the popular arena league team — is open for boys and girls ages 5 to 12.
“Our camp is designed to be a developmental platform for any kid that loves football,” NPAA wrote on their site. “There will be position-specific skills and drills along with the option to participate in age-specific competitions.”
In an exclusive interview with The Citizen, Anderson’s father, Jeremy Anderson, said his son opened his eyes for the first time since the Monday evening crash and appears to have full use of his limbs.
But the Fruit Cove Middle School student — who lost his mother six years ago — still has yet to walk or speak in complete sentences.
“It’s baby steps right now,” Jeremy said.
The heartsick parent said Parker stopped breathing at one point after the violent spill — but has bravely fought back over the ensuing days.
A GoFundMe account drew a flood of donations this week to help cover mounting medical bills and Jeremy’s lost wages from missing work.
For more information on the camp, parents are encouraged to call or text (904) 383-0432.
