BUTTE — Regardless of Saturday's outcome, the West All-Stars had to feel like winners Thursday afternoon.
In its final practice at Naranche Stadium ahead of the 78th Montana East-West Shrine Game in Great Falls, the team helped 10-year-old Gavin Devers — a Dillon resident and the 2023 patient ambassador — score a 35-yard touchdown at the practice's conclusion.
Devers has spinal muscular atrophy, a genetic disorder that causes various degrees of muscle weakness, but he had plenty of power as he took the ball left, turned upfield, juked a player along the way and then dove in near the left pylon. The West team accompanied his scamper into the end zone and went into a celebratory frenzy after his score.
Watch the video here:
"This is so heartwarming," said KenDra Devers, Gavin's mom. "He's been part of this since he was an ambassador in '23. He comes up every year and runs a touchdown and these kids are so welcoming. Gavin will never get to play football so this is his chance to shine and feel like he fits in."
Jeff Hartwick has been the West Team coordinator for 19 years and he said that moments like Gavin's touchdown underscore the Shrine Game's purpose of being about something bigger than football.
"It's something that's important to us, important to the team, and important to our ambassadors," said Hartwick. "Back in the day we used to bring the team to the hospital, now we do our best to bring the hospital to the team.
"Everything we do is for the cause. It's a cause that's bigger than us. It's all for the kids. It's more than a football game."
