A Manning Thanksgiving

After+getting+to+take+Harper+home%2C+the+Mannings+pose+for+a+picture.+People+have+begun+to+rally+behind+the+Manning+family+through+GoFundMe%2C+meals%2C+and+more.

provided by Ben Manning

After getting to take Harper home, the Manning’s pose for a picture. People have begun to rally behind the Manning family through GoFundMe, meals, and more.

Kia Dunlop, WTV Staff Reporter

The GoFundMe is just one way people on campus are helping Harper and the Mannings. 

Most staff and students are going to be spending the next week with family and friends and the Mannings are no different. 

However, instead of enjoying the comfort of someone’s home, the family will be in the hospital on Thanksgiving day with their daughter, Harper.

But they won’t have to worry about cooking a big meal as other Redhawk coaches will be taking care of the food. 

“It started when were was at a college signing last week, were we had the v-ball and b-ball players sign,” assistant football coach Brandon Gonzales said. “I was just talking to Coach Manning, making small talk. He told me they were planning on cooking Wednesday night and spending Thanksgiving in the hospital Thursday. I really enjoy cooking so I was like ‘hey let’s see if we can get some stuff together and bring it to the hospital’. As soon as I mentioned it, it was a no brainer. Within 20 minutes, almost everything was full on the Sign Up Genius. We’re also going to do a gift card.”

Campus support for the Mannings is going beyond Thanksgiving as golf coach Adam Davidson is helping the Mannings in a unique way. 

“It was a product and the aim is all natural and quality of life,” Davidson said. “We were narrowing down to three out of five causes. When we we’re talking about causes, this one fellow Redhawk, a coaching brother of ours. I’ve had some issues with a daughter of mine and I wanted to be in the top three. We know that people are giving, but a lot of times it’s for tax purposes and timing. Our community arm is to give a daughter these three causes, baby Harper, one of the three that we chose. We set up a landing page, we wanted a service of giving that’s ongoing from the product and the landing page to addition to the dollar that we give back of every sale. It’s Harper.vimlife.style, and we’re going to give an additional 2.25 of every sale back to the family. The ultimate goal is the baby comes home and they enjoy their time with baby Harper, not worried or stressed out about money.”