BARTOW, Fla. — Former Florida State Seminoles football fullback Freddie Stevenson is hosting a back to school bash next month, putting on a variety of activities and providing free food and drinks for the children of Polk County.
Steven's "Back2School Bash" will take place at the Bartow Civic Center (2250 S Floral Ave) on Aug. 8 at 3:30 p.m.
Stevenson has found a new path as mentor in his post-football life, something that he dove into during a feature story with 10 Tampa Bay earlier this year:
He continues to share his story with local children by speaking at schools and sports practices. He also wants to provide professional and college athletes with resources to make a smooth transition to life after football, so they can avoid depression like he did.
“People are reaching out to me, saying, ‘You saved my life,” Stevenson said. “I'm getting long paragraphs, people saying they were suicidal… they were ready to give it all up. But at the darkest place in my life, I found purpose. And that gave them hope.”
Stevenson already has a new project. He’s working on founding a non-profit to help underprivileged children. This summer, he plans to host a back-to-school event, with the goal of raising $25,000 for local kids. He plans on setting aside $5,000 of the funds raised for local teachers.
“People (are) coming up to me, exchanging numbers, saying ‘you really touched me,” Stevenson said. “Just feeling that feeling that I had after speaking with those people – it was better than anything I got on the field. Better than any touchdown I scored.”
The event will feature a kickball tournament, backpack and school supply giveaway, horse rides, bounce houses, and more.
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