Terrell Owens is scheduled to be there, as are 3x Super Bowl champ Steve Wallace and 2x Super Bowl Champ Cliff Crosby.
Gwinnett County Chairwoman Nicole Hendrickson says she's ready for some 'friendly competition' at the upcoming Celebrity Bowl to Benefit Sickle Cell. She and former Atlanta Falcon Dewey McClain exchanged some good-natured banter during their discussion with Audacy Atlanta's Maria Boynton about the annual event that raises funds for research.
September is Sickle Cell Awareness Month. According to the CDC Sickle Cell Disease occurs among about 1 out of every 365 Black or African-American births. There are believed to be at least 7,000 people of color with SCD in each of Georgia's 159 counties.
"We need more donors", says organizer Zee Mullen, "the registry is only comprised of about 6 percent of African Americans, and that's why we need everyone to get tested." She and her son have the disease.
From the gridiron to the Georgia Capitol, McClain is now a longtime state lawmaker representing Gwinnett County. "I was happy 15 years ago when I was asked to participate" says McClain about the Celebrity Bowl. "Sickle Cell is something we need to bring awareness to."
Hendrickson, the first African American elected to lead the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners, says Sickle Cell does not get the recognition that it's due. "We're in the middle of a pandemic and people forget there are other diseases that people are living with. So many African Americans are impacted by this disease." Hendrickson adds that she wanted to elevate awareness helping to find a match for people that are struggling with it, and ultimately a cure."
Savvy Affairs CEO Mullen, is the event founder. "It literally started with some friends and 2 lanes," says Mullen. She adds that the fundraiser "just grew and evolved into something really spectacular." She says that registration has been sold out for months. "Everyone's really excited about it and they're looking forward to attending." The National Sickle Cell Disease Foundation and Be The Match, which will do onsite testing. "It's just a simple swab inside the cheek", says Mullen, "There are no needles involved. It's free. You save a life and there's nothing better than that." As for what she needs from the public, Mullen shares "we need to get some matches, some donors, so we can help more Sickle Cell patients."
Celebrity Bowl was sidelined by the pandemic in 2020. The 14th Annual event is on Saturday, September 25, 2021, at Bowlero, 3835 Lawrenceville Highway in Lawrenceville. Registration to attend is available online. Donations can also be made online.
Who will take home the trophy? "All we do is win, win, win in Gwinnett", says Chairwoman Hendrickson, adding"we're all about making sure everyone thrives in this community." While McClain exclaims that he expects the two NFL teams "to take first and second place."
Watch full interview below.