EAST LANSING, MICH (WXYZ) — The stage is set for the Michigan Wolverines and MSU Spartans to battle it out once again in their annual college football rivalry. Kick off is at 7:30 p.m. Parking lots open for tailgating at 11 a.m.
The yearly face-off has divided Michiganders for generations. However the rival schools share a mission to raise awareness and support for students with disabilities. Ten years ago, a mother honored the legacy of her son by holding Alex's Great State Race, a 64-mile fundraising relay race between East Lansing and Ann Arbor, Michigan, which became an annual event that unites two interstate football rivals - Michigan State University and the University of Michigan - in raising donations to support students with disabilities.
Since 2014, ROTC cadets from Michigan's two Big Ten universities have come together to deliver the game ball to the home team prior to the state's most anticipated football game of the year. This year MSU will receive the ball in honor of Alex Powell, who was a first-year MSU student when he passed away from cancer in 2011.
For the past 10 years, the Alex Powell Spartan Experience Leadership Endowment has provided Spartans with resources that break down barriers for persons with disabilities. And with each year's race, funds are raised to provide access and support for students at both MSU and U-M. Students with disabilities receive support that includes tutoring, transportation assistance, mobility equipment and communication with professors when treatment or therapy overlaps with classroom needs. Since the inaugural race, the Alex Powell Spartan Experience Leadership Endowment has received just over $174,000 in gifts from sponsors and individuals.
To learn more about Alex's Great State Race or to make a donation, visit https://www.alexsgreatstaterace.org/.
