Falcons head coach Mike Smith hosted his fourth annual Huddle Up For Miracles dinner on Monday evening, at 103 West in Buckhead. The event raised $250,740 for Children's Miracle Network and was presented by SunTrust with associate sponsors, Miller Lite, Quikrete, Elo Touch Solutions, The Home Depot, and ADP.
The night began with Falcons safety Charles Mitchell showcasing his talents on the grand piano as guests arrived for the charity dinner.
When dinner finally began, guests were serenaded by S Thomas DeCoud and his rendition of Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World." This performance ultimately led to him being voted as Most Entertaining by the guests in attendance.
Taking home the most cherished award of the evening was QB Matt Ryan who received the notoriety as Most Valuable Waiter for raising the most money. Ryan provided an unforgettable moment when he took the stage for a performance with a young man who was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor.
Coach Smith recognized Miracle Child, Cade Roberts, who was struck in the abdomen during a soccer game which caused severe internal bleeding. During his recovery, Roberts was diagnosed with congenital horseshoe kidney, which could have been fatal later in life had it not been discovered. After three weeks in the hospital, Cade was sent home with two working kidneys and permission to play soccer again.
"Children's Miracle Network is a foundation that I have been fortunate to work with for a number of years and I am happy that we are able to help such a great cause," Smith said. "I would like to thank everyone involved in making Huddle up for Miracles a success this year and for the past four years. I know we set a record this year, but there is more that can be done and we look forward to the challenge of surpassing that mark next year as we continue to help Children's Miracle Network."
Managing more than half a million patient visits annually at three hospitals and 16 neighborhood locations, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta is one of the largest clinical care providers for child patients in the country.
At the conclusion of the night, $250,740 was donated on behalf of Coach Smith and the Atlanta Falcons. Over the past four years, Huddle Up For Miracles has raised over $759,740 for the Children's Miracle Network.
