Update on our Bryan Pata Foundation donation…

allCanes wanted to update everyone on our involvement with the Pata family in regards to Bryan Pata.

Last fall, our loyal customer based scooped up over 1,100 of our U FAMILY shirts (with a #95 on the back for BP) over a six week span. From mid-November through December 24th, for every U FAMILY tee sold, allCanes put $9.50 towards the Pata Foundation. When we tallied everything up, just over $11,000 had been raised.

Last week our GM Harry Rothwell attended the unveiling of the new #95 locker. Pata’s old locker now sports a plaque with “U FOOTBALL”, his name, number and “Donated by the allCanes Family.”

I spoke with Harry earlier and will recap what was a rather emotional experience, attended by Roger Bell (associate AD), Randy Shannon, Jeanette Pata (mother), Ronette Pata (sister), Josh Peskin (allCanes) and Harry. It was the Pata family’s first trip back to The U since the memorial service last November and seeing the locker where BP used to dress proved very difficult for his family.

allCanes donated the $11,000 to the Pata foundation and a portion of that went to the plaque on Bryan’s old locker. After the unveiling, the Pata family dropped by allCanes to reminisce.

We want to take this time to offer our heartfelt thanks to all of you who purchsed the U FAMILY shirt. For those who don’t remember, we created that shirt as a pick me up for our players and coaches in the midst of a down season.


The shirt was slated to hit shelves around the time Pata was murdered and it seemed a no brainer to add his #95 to the back of this special tee. It became a rallying cry and was featured on several diehard fans in the stands for the Thanksgiving match up against Boston College.

Last week was special and on some levels, brought an ounce of happiness to an otherwise tragic story. Thank you all again for helping support this cause.

The allCanes Family

Comments

comments

6 thoughts on “Update on our Bryan Pata Foundation donation…

  1. Chris,

    Hey, I just wanted to let you know that I think you and the entire allcanes team are amazing. The things you do for the U family are beyond belief. I’m sure Ms. Pata will never forget you generosity and thoughtfulness. Thanks for being an example to all the cane fans out there!!!

  2. Thanks Caniac, but I just report the news here. On this one, I give all the credit to Harry Rothwell and our in store crew. They knew Bryan when he and his girlfriend used to come in store and the night he was murdered, we put the ball in play to do something… anything… for the family.

    We’re glad we could do something, but sadly nothing will ever fill the void in the Pata family’s hearts.

    R.I.P. #95.

  3. ALL CANES SHOWNED WHAT MIAMI HURRICANES FOOTBALL IS ALL ABOUT “FAMILY”.

  4. This might sound pretty sappy to most folks, but I buy a new hat to keep every year until after the last game of the season. This years hat was a real beauty, purchased at AllCanes of course…but I swore not to wear it until they found Bryans killer! I haven’t yet…..but God willing, I hope to be able to soon. In the meantime, it just reminds me of another promising young man taken too soon….. R.I.P. Bryan Pata

    big pimpin

  5. Stuff like this is why I love being a Hurricanes fan. It’s not just about football but about family. God bless you guys at allcanes for the support to the Pata family.

  6. I don’t know if this is the proper place to talk of it or inform people, but when you speak of the Hurricane Family and the tragic loss of a family member in #95 because of a senseless act of violence .. someone else was taken from us right here in Tampa the same way. A kid 17 years young who one day dreamed of running through that legendary smoke in the OB while proudly wearing that unmistakable “U” on his helmet. Cedric “C.J.” Mills, 17, was fatally shot in front of his home and was pronounced dead shortly after being transported to the hospital.

    C.J. wanted to follow his father’s footsteps by playing in the NFL. He was a standout linebacker at Jefferson High School here in Tampa and wanted to play for no other college but The U. He had a long list of goals he wrote on a poster board in green felt tip pen and would stare at them in between push-ups and sit-ups while he was working out. Some of the goals he wrote: Make my grandmother happy, Pull my grade up to attest a B average, Be the best linebacker ever, Win state, Win first team everything, Be an all-american football player, Be Rivals top recruit, Make it to Miami U, Get a good degree, Go to NFL, First round pick, Buy grandparents really big house, Buy parents house, Buy myself a house, Be in Pro-Bowl, Make it to Hall of Fame, When lil brother gets older help him with football. He didn’t like to rely on his father for money so he would work a series of jobs – how many 17 year olds do you know of that don’t like to rely on parents for money?

    Miami had already been scouting him his sophmore year, he was an honorable mention on Class 4A All-State Football team last year and also was on the Tampa Tribune’s Hillsborough County Second Team. He even had rival coaches talking about him to college recruiters and coaches. Class 4A State Champion Plant High School coach Robert Weiner (our own Robert Marve was their QB last year and won state) had to face Mills twice this past year and would tell colleges “head over to Jefferson and see that Mills kid play – because he’s something special”. C.J.’s head coach at Jefferson High, Mike Fenton said “When he strapped a helmet on, he was for real …… There is no doubt in my mind he would have become maybe one of the biggest recruits this county has ever seen by the time his senior year came around ….. He would have been a Division I player. He probably would have played for Miami and maybe the NFL one day. He was that good.”

    Why was his life taken? Reports are that it is because of a stereo that was stolen from his grandmother’s car that C.J. just started driving a few months ago. Some kids broke into the car, stole the stereo and then one of them starting mouthing off to C.J. about it later. C.J. and his father went and confronted the person and got it back. Everyone thought the ordeal was done with. A while later after that, one of the kids confronted C.J. – a whole “your daddy isn’t around now, what are you going to do?” – and C.J. knocked three teeth out of his mouth. The kid said it wasn’t over. C.J. and a fellow Jefferson football player friend saw the kid again days later sitting outside of a grocery store blocks away from C.J.’s house. C.J.’s friend told police the kid was “eyeing C.J. and looking really disturbed.” A few days later after that, a witness said they noticed a Chrysler with two people in it drive past C.J.’s house 3 or 4 times … then leave. The driver of the car had dreadlocks and the other person in the car was in the back wearing a red bandana on his face, leaning back in the seat. A few hours later when C.J. arrived home in his car, the Chrysler came flying up to the house, two guys with bandanas on their faces jumped out of the car with guns and shot C.J., got into their car and left. C.J.’s stepsister came running out of the house screaming, dialing 911. A friend ran over and pressed a towel over the wounds, C.J. told her “My body’s on fire. I can’t feel my legs.” Police arrived shortly after with Paramedics. You know the rest. A life was taken over a stolen radio and bruised ego. Unbelievable. What happened to the days of just using your fists if you had a dispute that you absolutely couldn’t get away from? Sometimes you kick their ass or sometimes you get your ass kicked – that’s the way it goes … but at least both of you still walked away – alive.

    Like I stated before, I don’t know if this is the proper place to inform people of this because this blog really is and should be about #95, but I thought that maybe the telling of another life lost due to foolish and senseless acts was worth it. We call it “U Family” .. Bryan Pata was stolen from us too soon for no justifiable reason as well as Cedric “C.J.” Mills.

    – S.Woodward … a ‘Cane in Tampa

Comments are closed.