College football fans set aside their differences and came together this season in the fight against childhood cancer.
Children’s Healthcare and Peach Bowl announced Monday fans helped raise more than $1 million in the third annual Touchdowns 4 Cancer initiative.
The hospital and bowl foundation set a $500,000 goal, but fans exceeded that with $515,719 in donations. The Peach Bowl matched those donations bringing the total to $1,031,438.
The proceeds will help support pediatric cancer patients the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. The Peach Bowl previously donated $20 million to the center.
“College football fans stepped up to the challenge and beat this year’s donation goal,” Peach Bowl CEO Gary Stokan said in a statement. “We’re honored to be able to match that total and together we’ve teamed up to raise more than $1 million toward fighting pediatric cancer.”
Touchdowns 4 Cancer has a special meaning for one Peach Bowl executive.
Peach Bowl Vice President of Sales Benji Hollis lost his 6-year-old daughter to acute myeloid leukemia. Anna Charles Hollis was diagnosed with the disease in April 2018 and passed away five months later.
Team Lex, the group that raised the most money, received free tickets to Saturday’s game and will be given the AC Hollis T4C Trophy, named after Anna Charles.
Georgia Tech fans will also be recognized during Saturday’s Peach Bowl for donating the most to the campaign. Yellow Jacket fans helped raised $124,586.
More information on Touchdowns 4 Cancer can be found on the website here.