Gene Stallings highlighting Aug. 4 fundraiser
Published 2:15 pm Friday, August 3, 2012
By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor
Former national championship-winning coach Gene Stallings will highlight an Aug. 4 fundraiser event sponsored by The Pelham Police Department and the Chelsea-based Prince Wimbley Productions.
The “Bama Champs Fighting for Brielle” charity event will be on Aug. 4 at the Lightning Strikes Bowling Center in Trussville.
The event, which will begin at 5 p.m., will raise money for 2-year-old Brielle Warren, daughter of former University of Alabama tight end Derrick Warren. In April, Brielle was diagnosed with Alexander disease, a rare degenerative and potentially fatal disease reported only about 500 times since 1947, said Pelham Police Department executive assistant Jennifer Smith.
“It’s a very expensive disease to deal with, because there’s not a lot of information out there about it,” Smith said.
Wimbley, who played football with Derrick Warren at Alabama, has worked with the Pelham Police Department on other charity fundraisers in the past, and worked to team with the department soon after Brielle’s diagnosis, Smith said.
Admission to the event will be $10 for adults, $5 for kids ages 3-12 and free for kids younger than 2. All money raised during the event will benefit the Warren family.
The event will feature Gene Stallings along with more than 50 former Alabama football players, such as Tyrone Prothro, John Copeland, Chris Donnelly, Lemanski Hall, Antonio Langham, Derrick Lassic and David Palmer.
Event attendants can bring up to two items per person for autographs.