Nashville (AP) – The Vanderbilt Commodores are helping kick off a fundraiser for a new nonprofit named Turner’s Heroes to help pediatric patients and fund research in honor of their former teammate Turner Cockrell.
Coach Derek Mason will match $25,000 of donations in an 82-hour fundraiser that starts Saturday at kickoff against No. 4 LSU and ends Tuesday. The number honors the number Cockrell wore before dying November 29 after a long fight with cancer.
The Commodores will be wearing a new uniform called “Battle Ready” with a matching helmet featuring 82 rivets to honor Cockrell.
Turner’s Heroes was founded by Cody Markel, a fellow Vanderbilt tight end and close friend. The nonprofit helps create hero capes and other activities for patients at children’s hospitals and hopes to raise $50,000 with this fundraiser for a grant for pediatric cancer research.
