The Harrington Family Foundation

A close family friend of the Harrington family, Gina Bramucci, is currently serving an internship in northern Uganda with the Association of Volunteers in International Service (AVSI), an Italian based relief agency. She is writing website articles for Reuters Foundation as part of her graduate work in journalism at the University of Missouri. Her goal is to increase awareness of the human rights violations against children in this war torn African country.

In one of her e-mails to her friends and family this summer, Gina mentioned the joy that a soccer ball brought to the children of Kitgum, a village where schools have closed down and children sleep in hospitals at night to stay safe. Realizing the impact that one ball had on this village, the Harrington Family Foundation recently sent 50 Nike soccer balls to several reintegration centers in northern Uganda...a small gesture to help bring some laughter and diversion to these children who's lives are full of fear and anxiety. (Please check out the smiling faces in the photo section of this website.)

In the face of the suffering of the people of northern Uganda, before even asking ourselves where is God, it would be opportune for each of us to ask ourselves...where is man? Father Tarcisio Pazzaglia

The Harrington Family Foundation supports Gina in her effort to affect change by raising awareness of the gravity of the situation in northern Uganda. We encourage you to check out the following links to articles she has written.

Eyewitness: Seasons of war in northern Uganda
http://www.alertnet.org/thefacts/reliefresources/bramuccieye.htm

Celebrating peace to a backdrop of war
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/fromthefield/106380913517.htm

Photo gallery: AVSI cares for Uganda's displaced
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/photogallery/avsigallery.htm

Waiting games: Growing up with war in northern Uganda
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/fromthefield/106543980795.htm

If you’re willing to find out how you can help, please log onto the following
website:

ABDUCTED CHILDREN IN NORTHERN UGANDA: WHAT YOU CAN DO
http://hrw.org/campaigns/uganda/
Human Rights Watch has launched a campaign to seek the release of abducted
children in northern Uganda.

The Harrington Family Foundation recognizes the important of athletics in a child's education and development. The skills of sportsmanship and teamwork carry over into adulthood and can offer rewards for a lifetime. With this in mind, and eager to connect with the community that he now works and lives in, Joey has recently made donations to several schools in and around Detroit, Michigan.

Joey participated in CYO (Catholic Youth Organization) sports in grade school and middle school. He played football, basketball, and ran track from 4th grade through 8th grade at All Saints School in Portland, Oregon. The Harrington Family Foundation is providing Detroit Lions home game tickets to five Catholic schools in Michigan for their CYO teams...Bishop Borgess Academy in Redford, Holy Redeemer and St. Scholastica in Detroit, St. Agatha in Southfield, and St. Benedict in Highland Park...to encourage the students to do well in school and participate in athletics.

As we all know, high schools around the country face serious budget issues when it comes to providing their athletic teams with the proper equipment. Because of the relationship that Martin Luther King High School currently has with Nike, Joey has selected their football team to receive $20,000 of Nike products starting in the fall of 2004. By keeping the equipment high quality and up-to-date, he hopes that the football program will be competitive and attract young men to participate and enjoy the experience of high school sports.

Joey and the Harrington Family Foundation look forward to continuing to support athletics and education in Michigan.

The Harrington Family Foundation's kick-off benefit concert for Shriners Hospital of Portland was a huge success! The evening began with Joey presenting a $30,000 check to Sean Foster and Colin McLain, physically challenged patients at the hospital. The young men then took their place in the front row of the sell-out crowd of 1500 to enjoy the show.

The crowd, ranging in age from high school to senior citizens, loved the music and sang along throughout the concert. John Popper and Chan Kinchila of Blues Traveler started out with a selection of new releases and old favorites. Jason Mraz then took the stage and brought the crowd's excitement to an even higher level. After a brief intermission, the musicians performed together, inviting Joey to join them on the piano. Joey accompanied the combined group for the remainder of the concert and a trio of Jason, John, and Joey brought the house down with a awesome rendition of 'The Piano Man'!

Due to the tremendous generosity of our sponsors and underwriters...University of Oregon Athletics, Nike, KINK Radio, Detroit Lions, Best Buy, and several Duck Football Boosters...100% of the proceeds from the ticket sales was donated to the Sports and Rec Program at the hospital. The Harrington Foundation wants to thank all of you who came to the concert and helped to make this gift possible. We are already planning next year's event which is likely to become the annual signature event for Joey's foundation.

A big piece of Oregon Football History will help fund scholarships for students at the University of Oregon's Lundquist College of Business, thanks to Detroit Lions quarterback Joey Harrington. Harrington, a Lundquist College alumnus, plans to create a limited edition offering of sports memorabilia from a 10-story tall banner that hung in New York City during the 2001 football season. The banner, developed to promote Harrington and the Oregon football program on a national stage, hung across from Madison Square Garden throughout the season. The banner thrust UO athletics and Harrington into the national spotlight.

Pieces of the banner, donated to the campaign by the UO Athletic Department, will be incorporated into memorabilia and sold to a limited number of collectors. The campaign goal is to raise $250,000. All net proceeds will go to the Joey Harrington Foundation which will work with the UO Foundation to establish a scholarship fund for business students at the university. "This is a great opportunity for me to give back to the University of Oregon," says Harrington, who led the Oregon football program in 2001 to an 11-1 season and a victory in the 2002 Fiesta Bowl. "I think the banner did a lot for Oregon athletics in 2001 and now it can do a lot for Oregon academics in 2003."

Harrington, an academic All-American and Heisman trophy finalist, graduated from the Lundquist College of Business in 2001 with an undergraduate degree in business administration concentrating in sports marketing. The scholarship program will target incoming students with similar academic interests. The Lundquist College expects to award the first scholarships in the 2004-2005 academic year.

Click here to own a piece of history

Joey Harrington, former QB of the University of Oregon Ducks and starting QB for the Detroit Lions, returns to his hometown for the Harrington Family Foundation's premiere event, an acoustic concert featuring rising star, Jason Mraz and special guests John Popper and Chan Kanchila from the group, Blues Traveler. The concert will be held at the Crystal Ballroom, Thursday, June 26 at 7:30pm. "I'm so proud to be from Portland; the city will always be home to me. I'm thrilled I am able to give back so quickly to a community that has provided so much support to me through my high school, college, and now into my NFL career. I'm a huge fan of both Jason Mraz and Blues Traveler. It means a great deal to have these artists support our first event."

The Harrington Family Foundation was launched in January, 2003, by Joey Harrington with the intent to provide children quality education and proper health care in a safe and nurturing community. Concert go-ers will be in for a special treat that night when Joey Harrington, an accomplished pianist, joins both acts on stage. "I've always said I'm more comfortable on the football field than on the concert stage," says Joey. "But, how could I resist the opportunity to play with such terrific artists? However I might need to practice a little bit before then."

Sponsored by KINK fm 102, Best Buy, and the Detroit Lions, 100% of the ticket sales will go to the Shriners Hospital for Children in Portland, Oregon.