There will be plenty of festivities in Washington this summer but for football fans it will be hard to beat the events scheduled this weekend by former Washington High School and East Carolina University star and current Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Terrance Copper.
The fun begins on Friday as Copper and a host of NFL stars have scheduled meet-and-greet/community cookout on the Washington waterfront where free hotdogs and beverages will be handed out from 4-7 p.m. in an event that’s sponsored by the Beaufort County Pirates Club.
After that, Cooper and an estimated 13 NFL players will play an exhibition basketball game at Washington High School versus the Washington PD and FD at 8 p.m. Admission is free of charge.
The group will turn its attention back to the sport it loves the following day as Copper and Co. will host a free football camp for athletes ages 7-17-years old at Washington High School from 8 a.m. to noon. Upon conclusion of the camp the football stars will sign autographs for the fans.
Just some of the scheduled NFL stars for this weekend are: Dexter McCluster (Chiefs), Vontae Leach (Ravens), Dwayne Bowe (Chiefs), Dwayne Harris (Cowboys), Mardy Gilyard (Chiefs), Junior Hemingway (Chiefs), Josh Bellamy (Chiefs), Shaun Draughn (Chiefs), Steven Baker (Chiefs) and Jamar Newsome (Chiefs).
Wilson, a Belhaven native, along with Harris, Leach and Baker are all East Carolina University alum and Copper said it didn’t take much convincing for them to get on board with the fun-filled weekend.
“We’re all Pirates at heart,” Copper said. “We love supporting the Pirates and we all support each other and their camps.”
Copper could easily have scheduled this time off to prepare for his 10th NFL season but instead has organized a great weekend in which he and his friends hope to inspire young athletes.
“It’s all about the kids,” Copper said. “A lot of us are from small towns and we know how hard it is growing up in a small town and we just want to show the kids that no matter where you come from you can be successful.
“And it doesn’t have to be in football or sports. We’re just showing how we beat the odds. The odds of becoming a professional player are not in our favor, but if we can beat the odds than they can beat the odds. We just want to encourage people to follow their dreams and if they do that anything is possible.”
Young athletes that wish to attend the camp are encouraged to pre-register by contacting Kimberly Grimes at 252-943-1715. Registration forms are available at the Washington Police Department, 201 West Third Street.