This Is Awesome

Pittsburgh has been blessed with two beautiful souls that inspired many over the past year or so. Unfortunately, both souls recently passed away, leaving legacies that most of us can only hope to imitate.

John Challis showed us that cancer couldn’t keep him from reaching people, and his death saddened people in all corners of the world. Randy Pausch, terminally ill and given a life expectancy that would destroy the strongest of us, used his Last Lecture to motivate all generations. Both had ties to local sports in their final days, so sports fiends like yours truly were able to watch and admire from a certain closeness.

Tragedy sucks, but the good that comes from tragedy is positively overwhelming. Pausch not only leaves behind his emotion-rattling lecture at Carnegie Mellon, he now has his name draped over a flag football tournament (h/t to TECHburgher, IheartPGH and The Burgh Blog). The Inaugural Randy Pausch Memorial Flag Football Tournament has been started by his friends and family, seeing as how Pausch loved football. Proceeds will benefit the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.

Here’s some deets:

Sunday October 12, 2008
South Park Fairgrounds
9 AM to 6 PM

Women’s League (8×8)
Roster limit: 16
Fee: $300 before Sept. 30 ($350 after)

Sign up, if flag football is your thing and you’ll be in the area. There’s really no losers in this deal.