UNL Students Raise Money for Team Jack

By: Kristin Bauer - Email

Updated: Thu 7:24 AM, Oct 25, 2012

"It's hard not to feel love for a kid like that and want to help him out." - CJ Zimmerer, Husker Football Player

There's great news for the Hoffman family in more than one way.

Students from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln hit the pavement Wednesday night, running to raise money for Jack Hoffman.

"It's very important to get the student involvement with it, and just to have a team effort," said Rex Burkhead, who has been heavily involved with Team Jack.

Rex Burkhead, senior running back for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, has functioned as a mentor for the seven year old who is battling pediatric brain cancer.

"Thoughts and prayers just keep going out for him, and for him to keep battling," said Burkhead.

Hoffman has also seen support from the entire Husker football team--leading the team out on the field for this year's Wisconsin game.

"It's hard not to feel love for a kid like that and want to help him out," said CJ Zimmerer, Husker football player and member of Uplifting Athletes.

"This year especially, Team Jack has been widely accepted across campus so we knew people would be pretty pumped to support another charitable event towards Team Jack," said Kristen Plourde, one of the event organizers.

All the money raised will help Team Jack - which is determined to find a cure for pediatric brain cancer.

"It's just going to keep spreading, across the city, across the state, and across the nation. That's our goal to just raise awareness for his disease - pediatric brain cancer and to just make as big of a difference as we can," said Zimmerer.

Organizers say they raised $4,000-$4,500, and all proceeds will go to Team Jack.

The family also received positive news Wednesday, according to Jack's father Andy Hoffman. Jack's most recent MRI shows the tumor has declined in size.

"We're really excited about it on one hand," he said, "But we're cautiously celebrating. Therapy seems to be going well, and medically he's doing well, but he still has a long road ahead of him."