Well-executed play scores football team much-needed helmets

By Dan Cassuto KATU News and KATU.com Staff Published: Mar 15, 2013 at 10:06 PM PDT Last Updated: Apr 26, 2013 at 1:47 PM PDT

AURORA, Ore. – The North Marion High School Huskies football team will get 30 brand new helmets in time for fall season after their coach executed a Hail-Mary-like play.

"On a whim, I was sitting in this room here talking with my family – maybe I ought to stand out in the road with a sign saying, 'Will Work for Helmets,'" said head coach Doug Bilodeau.

That's just what he did, and it worked.

Thanks to a big corporation, Hampton Inns, on the other side of the country, the team will get new helmets that will be safer and shinier.

It turns out that helmets come with an expiration date. The team's old ones have to be thrown away after next season because they've been used for 10 years.

Bilodeau needed 30 safer ones for next season, but there was no money until he posted a photo of himself holding the "Will Work for Helmets" on Facebook.

A day after KATU News did a story about it people all over the United States wanted to help.

"We were really inspired by his story," said Jennifer Silberman, vice president of Hampton Inns.

While Silberman didn't need manual labor, she said via Skype she did make Bilodeau an offer.

"All we're really asking is things the coach already said they'd do, go out there, engage the community, and help others in need," she said.

And in exchange, Hampton Inns will donate $7,000 all the money needed to purchase the new helmets.

"It just means a lot. We're gonna be working for every bit," said one player.

"This blessing. This Godly blessing, it's unbelievable," Bilodeau said. 'You don't know the nights of not sleeping thinking about where I was going to get the money for the helmets."

The team also got job offers to do all kinds of dirty work around Aurora. Bilodeau said if they took up all the offers they got, they'd earn more than $30,000.

He's hoping other high schools can learn the same lesson the players did: if you work hard good things will happen.

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36 comments

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beesknees

I hope the boys will try to finish as many of the job offers as they can. They could probably help the school out with a lot of different improvements and pull their classmates into the work with them if they're going to share the money with them. Â Good job to the coach for being will to get out there and work for what they needed and kudos to Hampton Inn for helping out.

tally

They need a helmet like our Portland crayon tax.

uknow2

Great now we wont feel bad when 49 million American people around the country hold up signs.

Will Work for food..

I guess it really is a sign of the times..

Justanother1

5 Like

Great example!Â Â Good job.

Thanks to Hampton Inns too!Â

WhenCowsAttack

1 Like

It's great that they are getting all these offers and will get the helmets.Â Very kind of Hampton Inns to do such a thing.Â I also want to know if they are actually going to go out and do any work for any of the other offers out there.Â It WOULD seem...uncouth, to be kind, to publicize it as "Will work for helmets" and then ignore the offers of work and just take the free money.

Also, Mr. Bilodeau, the praise goes to you for your ingenuity, and to the simple kindness of strangers.Â God did not *poof* this money into your hands.Â People did.

Bob McMasterson

Awesome job coach... Just a little brain power needed.

Phuzz

Dont they need new jock straps too or do they reuse them?

This comment has been deleted

Bob McMasterson

@feral

âSomebody told me it was frightening how much topsoil we are losing each year, but I told that story around the campfire and nobody got scaredâ - Jack Handey

dougrpdx

3 Like

Nice... Hampton Inns on the other side of the country is buying these helmets.. Thank you Hampton Inns..Â

On a more negative side to the story, we have Nike, and Adidas world headquarters here and they don't step up..??

That's shameful... And Nike doesn't even pay taxes... WOW !!!!!

WhenCowsAttack

@dougrpdx Maybe they didn't see the Facebook picture?

I sure didn't, did you?

scoreboard

@dougrpdx I think you need to go back and check the stories on Nike.Â They do pay taxes.Â In fact they pay more taxes in one year then you and practically every poster on KATU pays in their lifetime, combined.Â Same for Adidas.

dougrpdx

I'm sure they do.. How about we bet our houses the percentage I pay is about 3 times of what Nike pays.. how about it mr big shot ?

scoreboard

@dougrpdx Did you say percentage of taxes?Â No you did not.Â Your exact words:Â "And Nike doesn't even pay taxes... WOW !!!!!"

Good for you that you pay a higher percentage.Â So do I but again, you said Nike pays zero taxes.Â I think you just got your panties in a wad because I called you out and proved you wrong.Â Get over it.

dougrpdx

@scoreboardÂ @dougrpdx I think you need to go back and read the stories thank you !

B Smizzle

1 Like

@scoreboardÂ @dougrpdxÂ Sure they will pay more in one year than most posters will pay in their lifetime, but then again we don't make 1.8 billion in net revenue in a year like Nike does and if we did we would pay almost double the state income tax Nike does.

"The two Oregon-headquartered Fortune 500 corporations, Precision Castparts and Nike, paid an effective tax rate of 2.5 percent and 4.9 percent, respectively, during the time period."

scoreboard

@dougrpdxÂ @scoreboardÂ @B Smizzle You said NO TAXES.Â It's not splitting hairs.Â It's EXACTLY what you said.

dougrpdx

@scoreboardÂ @B SmizzleÂ @dougrpdx HELLO MR HAIR SPLITTER !

scoreboard

@B SmizzleÂ @scoreboardÂ @dougrpdxÂ Whatever their tax rate is, they pay taxes.Â Go back re-read the original post - the last sentence in particular.Â It says Nike pays NO TAXES!!!!

HELLO!?!?!Â

Come on, I know your smarter than that.Â

Jenni S.

@B SmizzleÂ @scoreboardÂ @dougrpdxÂ

At the same time, the tax rate for a couple making $12,500 a year or more is 9%. At the lower to middle income levels, you're a lot less likely to have as many items to deduct to lower that tax rate, so you're unlikely to get anywhere close to 49% or 2.5%.

Bob McMasterson

@dougrpdxÂ So, your glass is half empty then... Why didn't you write a check? Shameful.

dougrpdx

@Bob McMastersonÂ @dougrpdx As I recall we were not talking about my glass.. But you seem to feel guilty about yours...

dougrpdx

@Bob McMastersonÂ @dougrpdx Why don't you... you must have something to hide.. Like working for Nike ..

Morticae

"All we're really asking is things the coach already said they'd do, go out there, engage the community, and help others in need," she said.

So what exactly does that mean? Are they actually going to do any work, or not? In the original article, the guy mentioned not wanting charity or a free ride.

GladiOla

@Morticae

"It just means a lot. We're gonna be working for every bit," said one player.

Let's hope they follow through with the help.

Jenni S.

1 Like

@GladiOlaÂ @MorticaeÂ

There are typically a lot of volunteer projects that could be done around town. They could help redo the wood chips in a playground, clean up trash around a park or school, clean up graffiti, help deliver meals to seniors, etc. So many things they could do that could help the community.