How Fernando Mendoza used Heisman platform to benefit MS in mom's honor

NEW YORK — Indiana football quarterback Fernando Mendoza carved out time from a packed schedule on Saturday as a Heisman finalist to visit the flagship adidas store in New York.

Mendoza partnered with the sportswear company to organize a shopping spree for four families impacted by multiple sclerosis, spending time with them in between his many media obligations. He's raised funds and awareness for the MS Society throughout his collegiate career with his mother Elsa battling the disease.

He started a personal fundraising campaign at Cal that’s now raised more than $66,000.

Mendoza has used the spotlight of being a Heisman frontrunner to highlight his mother’s fight — he calls her his “light and inspiration” — and the positivity and optimism she brings to his life. 

When it became clear he would be heading to New York as a Heisman finalist, he knew he wanted to do something to bring some joy to those impacted by the disease.

Fernando Mendoza finds a way to give back on Heisman weekend

Adidas was well aware of Mendoza’s charitable contributions, having signed him to an NIL deal in November. They partnered in the MS Society to identify New York-based families for the shopping spree. 

The MS Society's national headquarters is just four blocks from adidas flagship store.

"The families were blown away,” MS Society's vice president of external relations Sarah Smith said. “I called two families and someone else called two. They were like, 'Can you repeat that? Is this true? Why us?' No one could believe it.”

The families didn’t have to spend all the money at once either — adidas gave them all gift cards with whatever they didn’t spend on Saturday morning. 

Allison Hitchcock told The Herald-Times that she got an "out of the blue" call from the organization earlier this week with what they described as an urgent message. Hitchcock, 22, was taking one of her final exams at the time and called her mother before returning the call to speculate what it might be about.

“Maybe they want me to speak on a panel?” Hitchcock wondered.

She was diagnosed pediatric multiple sclerosis at 14 years old and has spoken on panels before. She’s also had opportunities come up in connection with Oscar the MS Monkey, a non-profit organization for pediatric MS patients and their families. 

What she could have never expected was receiving a $10,000 shopping spree to the adidas flagship store in New York organized by Heisman finalist Fernando Mendoza. 

“Is there too many zeroes? That's crazy,” Hitchcock said with a laugh. 

Hitchcock admitted she didn’t know much about Mendoza’s football career, but knew of his advocacy. 

After finding out she would receive the $10,000 shopping spree, she decided to pay it forward and use the money to benefit patients to the Golisano Children's Hospital in Rochester, New York where she will soon be employed as a pediatric nurse in the neurology, cardiology and burn unit.

"I have this crazy opportunity to do something really special for these kids and I decided to take it,” Hitchcock said.

Fernando Mendoza’s commitment to family is 'incredibly impactful' 

MS Society president and CEO Tim Coetzz told The Herald-Times on Saturday that the family connection at the heart of Mendoza’s story has been “incredibly impactful” to members of the community. 

The images of Fernando hugging his mother after the Big Ten title game and the letter she penned to him that The Player’s Tribune published this week resonated with the families facing the same challenges. 

One of the shoppers on Saturday, a mother with two young sons, faced many of the same questions that Mendoza’s mother talked about in her letter. Would her boys be embarrassed by her? 

“Here's him on the field at the highest point of the game and still thinking about his mom and giving back is incredibly inspiring to the community,” Coetzee said. 

It also harkened back to the origins of the MS Society. 

“The MS community is so knitted together and powerful,” Coetzee said. “It's about the community; it's about the commitment. Our organization was started here in New York when a woman's brother was diagnosed with it, and he was her inspiration.” 

Sylvia Lawry served as the Chief Executive of the MS Society for nearly four decades after founding the organization in 1946 in the wake of her brother, Benard, being diagnosed with the disease. 

Coetzee attended Saturday’s event and got a chance to meet Mendoza for the first time.

"At the end of the day, we are going to get to cure because of the community and the power of us coming together,” Coetzee said. “He helps elevate us to get there."

Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: MS Society: Indiana's Fernando Mendoza gives back during Heisman weekend