Coach Callahan Charities Offers Football 101 for Women

Lincoln - Coach Callahan Charities, Inc., have announced the date of the second-annual Football 101 for Women.  The charity event will be held on Monday, June 6.  The proceeds from the one-day event will support breast cancer research. 

Last year’s event attracted 1,050 women from 12 states and raised $35,000 for breast cancer research. In 2005, proceeds from the event will benefit the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center in Omaha.  Callahan said he looks forward to the contribution this year’s event will make.

“Because of the enthusiasm for Nebraska football, we were able to raise $35,000 for the National Breast Cancer Foundation,” Callahan said.  “This year, we look forward to an even bigger and better event and raising more money for the breast cancer research.”

The event establishes a comfortable and exciting setting to learn about and celebrate Husker football.  Coach Callahan and his staff will teach all sessions of the clinic, which will involve crowd participation. 

All events will take place at The Cornhusker Hotel in downtown Lincoln on Monday, June 6, beginning at 2 p.m.  Registration is from noon to 2 p.m., and all activities are expected to conclude at 10:15 p.m.  Pre-registration is required and open to the first 1,200 to sign-up.  Participants are encouraged to register with a credit card on-line at CoachCallahan.com beginning on Monday, April 4.  Entry forms may also be mailed with a check.

The registration fee for Coach Callahan’s Football 101 for Women is $75.  This fee includes clinic participation, general admission dinner seating and a gift bag, which includes a Football 101 visor, a “Hope” wrist band and a College Football Rules packet.  All participants will also have the opportunity to win Husker gear by participating in a raffle.  Hotel room reservations at The Cornhusker Hotel may be made at a reduced rate as part of the Football 101 block.  Rates are not included in the entry fee.

A limited number of tables will be sold for $1,000 each.  Each Premium Table includes eight full registrations and dinner with a member of the football staff assigned to each table.  Bill and Valerie Callahan will be seated at a table to be auctioned off on Huskers.com in late April.

Valerie Callahan, Coach Callahan’s wife, will kick off the event at 2:15 p.m.  Following kickoff, Coordinators Jay Norvell and Kevin Cosgrove will lead a session on the basics of the Husker offense and Blackshirt defense.  During the “first half,” participants will learn about the life of a student-athlete, see a training room demonstration, and learn about nutrition, weight lifting, the rules of the game and officiating.  At “halftime,” there will be a social hour and sit-down dinner, which is included in the registration fee. 

For the “second half,” the participants will split into three groups according to previous football knowledge.  Options for a more in-depth look at Husker Football include Redshirt (beginners), Special Teams (intermediate), or Starters (advanced).  The evening will conclude with closing comments by Coach Callahan and the Spring Game Highlight Video.  Valerie Callahan said the event is both fun and educational.

“I've never seen a thousand women having such a good time,” Valerie Callahan said.  “Throughout the course of the day, I think everyone left knowing a little more about the great game of football than they did before.”

The UNMC Eppley Center is the only National Cancer Institute-designed Cancer Center in the five-state region from North Dakota to Texas. Located in Omaha, the Eppley Cancer Center is also a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, a consortium of the largest cancer research programs in the nation.  The Cancer Center not only serves people throughout Nebraska, but regionally and nationally, and includes cancer researchers at UNMC, UNL and UNO. 

The mission of the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center is to coordinate basic and clinical cancer research, patient care, and educational programs; to facilitate application of new knowledge about the etiology, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cancer; and to improve health and quality of life.  The Cancer Center is also committed to training the researchers of tomorrow.  The Cancer Center provides graduate students and postdoctoral fellows with the opportunity to obtain advanced training in cancer research in a multidisciplinary environment.  Some of the funds donated from Football 101 will provide scholarship funding to future researchers.

Coach Callahan’s Football 101 is made possible through the generous support of the Southeast Nebraska Hematology and Oncology Consultants, The Nebraska Hematology-Oncology, P.C. and The Cornhusker Hotel.

To register, participants should visit CoachCallahan.com and utilize the secure electronic registration and credit card payment option.  Those interested may also send in written entry forms with a check to Coach Callahan Charities, Inc., P.O. Box 81467, Lincoln, Neb, 68510-81467.  Those who are unable to attend the event may make a donation to the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center through Coach Callahan Charities, Inc., on-line or on the entry form.  For more information, please call the Football 101 Hotline at 402-472-0091 or e-mail questions to ccc@huskers.com. 

Note: Tours of Memorial Stadium will be offered for Football 101 attendees from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the day of the event. No appointment is necessary to participate in the tour.