Coaches and players from the 2022 squad also attended to pass the torch to this year’s group.
“The handoff that last year’s team just made to this year’s team, you could feel how special it was to them,” TCO Chief Development Officer Chris Bailey said. “They’ll talk about all this with their friends and family for years to come.”
The idea first began in 2019 when the Vikings sent a team to Los Angeles to face a squad sponsored by the Chargers. It resumed after the pandemic in 2022, with TCO sponsoring the team that traveled to Miami.
As part of this year’s experience, The Blast practiced at TCO Performance Center and attended the Vikings Saturday morning walk-through before Minnesota’s Week 3 game against the L.A. Chargers. The team received specially created travel swag and was able to interact with current Vikings, as well as Legend Kyle Rudolph.
“Best moment of my life,” Clark said. “I’ve watched him since he joined the league.”
The group roared in approval when Jefferson presented a pair of cleats to Keith Collins, who has competed in flag football for 11 years.
“That was surprising because I didn’t expect that from J.J. That was a pretty cool, exciting moment,” Collins said. “I’ve been watching the Vikings my whole life, since I could basically understand football.”
Tim Karpas, wearing 18 like he did in high school at Albert Lea, was a member of the 2019 team that traveled to L.A., but he was older than the age limit set for that trip.
“You never think you’d get to do it again, and four years later, I got chosen for our team. It’s a good accomplishment. I’m proud of it,” Karpas said.
Special Olympics Minnesota Development Director Mark Anderson and Special Olympics North Carolina Vice President of Development Susan Doggett appreciated the trip’s role in advancing opportunities.
“This has been life-changing for our athletes,” Doggett said. “This is our inaugural year, and hopefully the first of many to come with our new Panthers Unified Teams. It’s hard to put into words what this means to them, but this is something they’ll hold on to the rest of their lives.”
Mehari has participated in Special Olympics for 13 years, including football for the past two.
His favorite Vikings QB of all-time is Daunte Culpepper. Mehari watches film from that era to pick up tips and loves trying to stretch defenses with deep passes. He most loves…
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