The 33rd annual Shrine Bowl Game ended a week of fellowship among Iowa’s finest high school football players and cheerleaders and the Iowa Shriners Children’s Hospitals. With all the proceeds benefiting Shriners Hospitals, fans gathered from all over Iowa to cheer on their players and help venerable children.

“It’s great to have so many young, talented athletes showcase their skills and show their support for the ‘World’s Greatest Philanthropy,’ Shriners Hospitals for Children,” said Gary Dunwoody, Imperial Potenate of the Shriners of North America.

The Shrine Bowl activities start a week before the game, with players getting together to become friends, learn the playbooks and help kids in Shrine Hospitals. By the time the week was over, the players had gotten to know each other a lot better and had gained a much higher appreciation for who they were playing for and how significant their contributions were to some of their young fans.

“It really puts it in perspective, playing for the kids,” said place-kicker Nathan Rausa from Columbus Catholic of Waterloo. “I’m really glad I was able to go out there and perform well for them.”

In its first 32 years, the annual Shrine Bowl has raised more than $1.8 million for Shriners Hospitals, who have treated more than 770,000 children across the United States, Mexico and Canada during the past 83 years. The Shriners’ hospitals provide medical care for children under 18, specializing in orthopedic problems, spinal injuries and severe burns, free of charge.

North team coach Koy Goodchild was moved by the hospital visit.

“It was truly an eye opening experience, for myself and the players,” Goodchild said. “We were worried about the heat, and it really showed the players how fortunate they were to be such gifted athletes, visiting children who had been through 15 or more surgeries. It made our concerns about the weather seem pretty minor.”

The players went to the Shrine Hospital in Minneapolis on Monday, with the cheerleaders going on Tuesday to visit the children.

The players played with the kids, participated in various games and also ate lunch with them.

“It was a great experience and really made you value your health, and, as a father, your children’s health,” said South assistant coach Steve Owens from Treynor High School.

“To see the players running an obstacle course with those kids and to see the smiles they put on the kid’s faces was really moving.”

The coaches, cheerleaders and players all took a lot from their visit and the week in general proved to be a humbling experience for the players, as well as a great fund raising event for the Shriners hospital.

“Those kids really live life to the fullest, despite their conditions and really make the best out of life, which is really humbling to see,” Owens added.

Iowa State generously contributed to the game.

“We are pleased to provide our outstanding athletic facilities to the game, as we do for other important all-Iowa athletic events,” said President Gregory Geoffroy.