Golden Gopher head football coach P.J. Fleck is rowing the boat for kids at University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital—and he wants you to join him.

Fleck and his wife, Heather, have enthusiastically supported the hospital through personal giving, proceeds from Row the Boat merchandise sales, and countless volunteer hours.

And as any football coach knows, it takes a strong team to accomplish something special.

So this fall the Flecks are launching the Row the Boat Challenge to encourage community members to band together to support patients and families at the hospital by raising $50,000.

“Masonic Children’s Hospital is tremendous, and what we love about it is they treat everybody like family,” P.J. Fleck says. “The hospital provides a lot of opportunities for a lot of people, and we want to help support that with our resources. And we want others to feel the same way. It takes everybody in this community to make a difference.”

Donations will benefit the Row the Boat Fleck Family Fund, which bolsters patient and family programs. That includes a range of services such as emergency financial assistance for families in need as well as smaller pick-me-up items like gift cards to local stores, restaurants, and coffee shops.

Little gestures like these can make a huge impact in people’s lives, Heather Fleck says. That’s why she and P.J.—along with the Gopher football team—visit the hospital as often as possible.

“For us, it’s important to give some hope or just be a bright spot in someone’s day,” she says. “That’s what our football program and culture is all about. Serving and giving.”