NEW YORK — Indiana football quarterback Fernando Mendoza, a Heisman finalist, took time out of his busy schedule to visit the Adidas flagship store in New York on Saturday.
Mendoza teamed up with the athletic apparel company to organize a shopping spree for four families affected by multiple sclerosis and spent time with them in between her numerous media duties. Throughout his college career, he battled the disease with his mother, Elsa, raising funds and awareness for the Multiple Sclerosis Society.
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He launched a personal fundraising campaign in California that has raised more than $66,000.
Mendoza used the spotlight as a Heisman frontrunner to highlight his mother’s struggles — he called her his “light and inspiration” — and the positivity and optimism she brought to his life.
When it became clear he would be heading to New York as a Heisman finalist, he knew he wanted to do something to bring some joy to those affected by the disease.
Fernando Mendoza finds way to give back on Heisman weekend
Adidas is well aware of Mendoza’s charitable donations and signed an NIL agreement with him in November. They teamed up with the Multiple Sclerosis Society to find New York families to go on shopping sprees.
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The MS Society’s national headquarters is just four blocks from the Adidas flagship store.
“These families are stunned,” said Sarah Smith, vice president of external relations for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. “I called two families and other people called two families. Their reaction was, ‘Can you say that again? Is this true? Why us?’ No one would believe that.”
The families also didn’t have to spend all the money at once – Adidas gave them all the gift cards, plus any money they didn’t spend Saturday morning.
Alison Hitchcock told the Herald Times she received an “out of the blue” call from the group earlier this week, which they described as an urgent message. Hitchcock, 22, was taking a final exam when she called her mother and called her back, speculating about what the exam would be about.
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“Maybe they want me to speak on the panel?” Hitchcock wondered.
She was diagnosed with pediatric multiple sclerosis at age 14 and has previously spoken on panels. She also had the opportunity to work with Oscar the MS Monkey, a non-profit organization for pediatric MS patients and their families.
What she never expected was to receive a $10,000 shopping spree at the Adidas flagship store in New York organized by Heisman finalist Fernando Mendoza.
“Is there too many zeros? That’s crazy,” Hitchcock said with a laugh.
Hitchcock admitted she didn’t know much about Mendoza’s football career but was aware of his advocacy.
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After learning she would receive a $10,000 shopping spree, she decided to pay it forward and use it to benefit patients at Golisano Children’s Hospital in Rochester, N.Y., where she will soon be employed as a pediatric nurse practitioner in the neurology, cardiology and burn units.
“I had this crazy opportunity to do something really special for these kids and I decided to take it,” Hitchcock said.
Indiana football quarterback Fernando Mendoza poses with a family who went on a shopping spree at the Adidas flagship store in New York on Saturday.
Fernando Mendoza’s commitment to family ‘highly impactful’
MS Society president and chief executive Tim Coetzz told the Herald Times on Saturday that the family relationships at the heart of Mendoza’s story had an “incredible impact” on community members.
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Photos of Fernando hugging his mother after the Big Ten championship game and a letter she wrote to him published by The Players’ Tribune this week resonated with families facing the same challenges.
One of Saturday’s shoppers, a mother with two young sons, faced many of the same issues Mendoza’s mother mentioned in her letter. Will her children be embarrassed by her?
“This was a time when he was on the pitch at the top of his game and still thinking about his mother and giving back to the community was incredibly inspiring to the community,” Coetzee said.
It also hearkens back to the origins of the Multiple Sclerosis Society.
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“The MS community is so tight-knit and so strong,” Coetzee said. “It’s about community; it’s about commitment. Our organization was founded in New York when a woman’s brother was diagnosed with the disease and he was her inspiration.”
Sylvia Lawry served as CEO of the Multiple Sclerosis Society for nearly four decades after she founded the organization in 1946 after her brother Benard was diagnosed with the disease.
Coetzee attended Saturday’s event and had the opportunity to meet Mendoza for the first time.
“Ultimately, because of the community and the power of us coming together, we will be able to cure the disease,” Coetzee said. “He helped us get there.”
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Michael Niziolek is an Indiana reporter for the Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek And click here to read all of his coverage.
This article originally appeared in the Indianapolis Star: Multiple Sclerosis Society: Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza gives back during Heisman weekend
