BATON ROUGE — LSU football players Kirston Pittman and Marlon Favorite took some time Monday afternoon to visit with children at the local Our Lady of the Lake Hospital.
The senior defensive linemen spent time talking and hanging out with the kids and handed out LSU souvenirs as well. They also visited with the staff in the pediatric ICU.
“The way my parents and my family raised me, I came up loving kids,” Favorite said. “I like to do anything I can to help them out, especially those in need and those who are sick. It was great to see the look on those kids’ faces when Kirston and I walked in the room and how excited they were to see LSU football players.
“I remember when I was a kid, I had a chance to meet some NFL players and it was very uplifting to me,” he continued. “No matter how busy our days get, it’s important to lend a helping hand in any way we can.”
LSU student-athletes regularly visit local hospitals. Members of the baseball and gymnastics teams are scheduled to go in November and several basketball and tennis athletes will make appearances in December.
“This community is incredibly passionate towards LSU, and the athletes recognize that and want to give back every chance they get,” said Jade Jenkins, Assistant Director of CHAMPS/Life Skills for LSU. “The kids immediately notice LSU athletes when they walk into the room, and this is something that really cheers them up when they are in the hospital. It is really rewarding for them to see that they can make someone’s day and offer encouraging words when things might be tough. I think it is a win-win situation and reminds us all how precious life really is.”