SE: Henington, Teammates and K-State Nation Lend a Helping Hand

By: D. Scott Fritchen

The original goal was $1,000. That's the dollar figure Ryan Henington threw around with roommates Cody Fletcher, Ross Elder, and Skylar Thompson. Could they get Kansas State fans to donate $1,000 to make Christmas a little extra special for some Manhattan-area children? They'd get 10 children. $100 each. That was the plan. Hopefully, they weren't asking for too much money.

Henington, a Junction City native and senior linebacker on the Kansas State football team, volunteered for "Shop with a Cop" back when he was gobbling up 4,500 career total yards as the quarterback at Junction City High School. He remembered the smiles on the children's faces, how they were able to branch relationships with youth and families in need.

He remembered thinking at the end of that event, "I wonder if one day I can do that?" So, this had idea been brewing for many years. Now, he believed, he had the opportunity to help impact more lives. Raise money. Help children.

In early December, Henington approached K-State head coach Chris Klieman with the plan. Henington had always shared his passion to be active in the community with Klieman.

"Coach," he said, "this is the idea we have, and I don't know all of the full details, but I have an idea where we can help out people during the holidays."

Klieman replied, "Ryan, go for it. We need older guys to step up and show the younger guys what it means to give back."

Henington approached his roommates.

"Do you think we can make this happen?" Henington asked.

"Yeah," they said, "go for it."

So, on December 7, Henington put together a 20-second video in which he said, in part, "Our plan is to raise money and take kids shopping on a set budget so they can have an incredible Christmas and have an opportunity to meet some K-State football players. Our goal is to raise at least $1,000 so we can take 10 kids shopping."

Henington posted the video on Facebook and Instagram. Thompson, Fletcher and Elder shared the video on their social media platforms as well.

They raised more than $15,000.

In less than two weeks.

K-State fans gave between $5 and $2,500.

"This wasn't our doing," Henington said. "We were the delivery guys. We didn't do it. The K-State nation did it. It's just a testament to a lot of caring people out there. We were just able to deliver their generosity. We wanted to use our platforms, especially with this being late in our careers. I wish it's something I would've done earlier in my career. We just wanted to use our platforms to give back, especially with the opportunity now being ever-present with the new name, image, and likeness legislation.

"One of my greatest purposes in life is to help and serve others. Once you stop focusing on what you have and start focusing on what you can give, you realize you receive everything you need. It's so fulfilling. This trumps anything I've ever done on a football field."

Henington and his roommates worked with Walmart management and a local non-profit organization in Manhattan. Members of the non-profit identified families that could use assistance. So many people were willing to help.

"I just remember when I was a kid what it meant to meet a K-State football player, a role model," Henington said, "and we thought it'd create an incredible experience, and also help families with financial assistance."

On December 18, Henington and 30 of his K-State teammates met 70 children in the Manhattan Walmart parking lot. Football players manned the shopping carts as wide-eyed children scanned the shelves. Because of the generosity of donors, Henington and his roommates were also able to give 30 families with a substantial gift card for groceries or basic necessities.

"It was pretty cool that it turned into something from just buying toys to also buying coats and food," Henington said.

The children's response was as expected.

"A lot of the children were just ecstatic," Henington said. "Some of them had never had so much. I remember little girls jumping up and down and it brings tears to your eyes. Skylar is over here helping a little girl and Timmy Horne is pushing a shopping cart, watching kids shop. The kids might not have fully understood why they were there or their financial situation, but they did see good in the world and knew for a moment that someone cared about them. That plants a pretty important seed in their lives. Hopefully one day they can understand the significance and be in a position where they can give back to others as well.

"Afterward, a woman called me, and she broke down on the phone. She'd lost her longtime job due to COVID, she was a single mother, and she was struggling, and she didn't know how she'd come up with money for her children's gifts. To hear her testimony, it made it really special. Just seeing the kids smile was awesome."

The kindness affected K-State football players as well.

"One thing that was cool about the event, too, was the impact on the football players, because it didn't just help the kids, but it helped us as well. It really put into perspective how fortunate we are to be at K-State and to be surrounded with resources, our families, our coaching staff, and this great football program.

"It was a great reality check. I wish all the K-Staters could've seen the looks on these kid's faces. I just want K-Staters to know they are amazing, and they helped out a lot of families."

Kansas State University Athletics

SE: Henington, Teammates and K-State Nation Lend a Helping Hand

Players Mentioned

Ross Elder

Cody Fletcher

Ryan Henington

Timmy Horne

Skylar Thompson

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