Michael Vick
Michael Vick's visit to Lancaster County last week raked in more than $25,000 for the Children Deserve a Chance Foundation.
Jordan Steffy, the charity's founder, said Vick's speech May 5 at the Lancaster County Convention Center drew more than 2,500 people — mostly school-age children.
"It was more successful than we ever could have imagined," said Steffy, a former star football player at Conestoga Valley High School. "And not just because of the money we raised, but because of the impact he had on the kids.
"We didn't care if we made money or lost money on this. It was all about the kids."
Vick, a backup quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, used his own experience as an example of why it's important to make good decisions in life.
Vick, who was the NFL's highest-paid quarterback when he played for the Atlanta Falcons, spent two years in prison from 2007-09 for his role in running an illegal dogfighting ring.
He said he's now dedicating his life to making sure kids "don't make crazy decisions."
"Because of where he came from in the city of Newport News (Va.), I think a lot of kids felt like they could see eye to eye with him," Steffy said.
Ticket, autograph and T-shirt sales netted a little more than $25,000 for Children Deserve a Chance after event expenses were paid, according to Steffy.
Vick did not receive a fee for his participation, although Steffy said the foundation did pay for Vick's security guards and for his travel expenses.
The event generated even more money through private and corporate sponsorships, although Steffy said it's difficult to say exactly how much more, since some of the sponsorships for the Vick event also are tied to an upcoming golf tournament hosted by the foundation.
"The sponsorships could add another $25,000 to $30,000," Steffy said.
Children Deserve a Chance has partnered with Arbor Place, which operates a youth center in an impoverished area of southeast Lancaster, to complete a $2 million expansion of The Mix at Arbor Place facility on North Street by the summer of 2011.