Lunch With Charlie

Earlier this week, I went to the annual Human Rights Awareness luncheon held in downtown South Bend. The Chancellor at IU South Bend had purchased a table and I was given a ticket to go. The guest speaker was Charlie Weiss, head coach at Notre Dame.

Coach Weiss is a very soft-spoken, laid back speaker. I have an inkling that he has a different persona on the football field. But as a speaker, he was really enjoyable. He spoke a lot about his wife and the work they had done with "Hannah and Friends" a group home they started for children with disabilities. Their daughter, Hannah, has severe mental and physical disabilities.

He admitted that up until a few years ago, he could really care less about charity work. He felt he had to take care of his family and that was it. He said his wife convinced him that they needed to do more. They were fortunate enough to have all they would ever need to take care of their daughter and should now give the opportunity for others in need to have such help. Thus was born "Hannah and Friends." It was nice hearing him speak, and gives a more human perspective to the guy soon to be prowling the sidelines again at Notre Dame stadium.