The first college football poll has dropped and Iowa’s season opener is now just 25 days away.
That means it’s time for the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital to introduce its lineup for the 2023 Kid Captain program — its 14th season.
“This year’s Kid Captains are simply amazing. I can’t wait for football fans to hear their incredible stories,” says Melissa Whisler, interim chief administrative officer of UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital. “These kids and their families represent everything we do and why we do it. They show us what it means to be brave and resilient in the face of illness and it is an honor to be able to care for them at our hospital. We congratulate all of them on their selection to this year’s Kid Captain team.”
This year’s Kid Captains were selected from 271 nominations from seven states.
The program was started in 2009 as a partnership between the children’s hospital and the Iowa Hawkeyes to honor pediatric patients by celebrating their stories.
All Kid Captains and their families will be invited to Kids Day at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday for a behind-the-scenes tour.
Here are the Kid Captains for the 2023 Iowa football season:
Gracelyn Springer, Alburnett, Iowa
Nile Kron, Iowa City, Iowa
Maggie Larson, Urbandale, Iowa
Gabby Ford, Fairfield, Iowa
Wyatt Rannals, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Max Schlee, Farmersburg, Iowa
Madi Ramirez, LeClaire, Iowa
Bentley Erickson, Brainerd, Minnesota
Lincoln Veach, Maquoketa, Iowa
Chloe Dinkla, Winterset, Iowa
Cooper Estenson, North Liberty, Iowa
Nathan McDonald, Delta, Iowa
Click here for more information on each Kid Captain.
For more Hawkeyes coverage, follow @HawkeyeHQ on Twitter and Facebook.
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