NASHVILLE, TN, Dec. 23. 2008 — Titans Pro Bowl cornerback, Cortland Finnegan hosted 300 family members from two local non-profit organizations for a special Christmas Dinner on Monday evening after the Titans clinched home field advantage with a win over the Steelers.!
Titans cornerback Cortland Finnegan shares a laugh with a young man invited to his special Christmas dinner benefiting LLS and Special Olympics.
Families from the The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research, education and patient services and Special Olympics,an international nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering individuals with intellectual disabilities to become physically fit, productive and respected members of society through sports training and competition, joined together for a special evening.
Finnegan asked his Titans teammates Brandon Jones and Cary Williams to join him for this special evening with families. In addition, Titans Cheerleaders Melanie, Kristin, Alyson, Lindsay S., Lindsey H. and Valeriewere also on hand to mingle with guests. Titans players and cheerleaders posed for photos, signed autographs and visited with the 300 people in attendance.
| ! Titans cheerleaders and Titans teammates came out to support Finnegan's event. |
Finnegan treated the families to a full Christmas dinner with turkey, ham, cornbread pudding, vegetable and countless desserts. He greeted the crowd as they sat down to eat at LP Field's West Club. This is the second year Finnegan has hosted groups from both non-profit organizations. In 2007 he invited guests to join him for Thanksgiving dinner.
Finnegan was the 2008 runner-up for the LLS Man of the Year campaign, which is a 10 week fundraising competition benefiting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, in which candidates compete for the titles in honor of local survivor children, the Boy & Girl of the Year.
| ! Finnegan, easily one of the team's most popular players, has been integral on the field and in the community since joining the Titans in 2006. |
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research, education and patient services. The Society's mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Since its founding in 1949, the Society has invested more than $550.8 million for research specifically targeting blood cancers. To learn more about The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Tennessee, how to volunteer, contribute or benefit from services, log on to www.lls.org/tn
About Special Olympics Tennessee:
Special Olympics is a year-round sports training and competition program for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. More than 14,000 special athletes throughout Tennessee participate in one or more of the 17 different sports offered during the year.
To learn more about Special Olympics Tennessee, how to contribute, volunteer, or register an eligible athlete with an intellectual disability, visit their website at www.specialolympicstn.org
