Vikings' Chad Greenway to Tackle Waiting Tables

On October 24th, Vikings Linebacker Chad Greenway will take a two point stance with a serving tray in one hand, as he hosts Celebrity Waiter Night at Manny’s Steakhouse to benefit his Lead the Way Foundation.  

Chad is teaming up with Manny’s (brainchild of Edina's own Phil Roberts and brother restaurant to Good Earth, Salut, Mozza Mia and soon-to-open Pittsburgh Blue) to raise money to support critically and chronically ill children and their families. He was recently at the Minneapolis steakhouse to talk about the event and is so engaging and down-to-earth, it's easy to forget that he's a sports celebrity.

Greenway, who has two children of his own, says he can’t pretend to understand what the family of a sick child goes through, but that his foundation is attempting to provide these families with daily support and life-changing experiences. He's even passionate about helping the siblings of sick kids, who suffer more than most realize.

“Having a chronically ill child affects every aspect of a family, including marriage and siblings,” Donna Jean Appel, a mother of a chronically ill child and co-founder of Project DOCC (Delivery of Chronic Care), said in a New York Times article.

The fundraiser will feature hors d’oeuvres and a five-course dinner of Manny’s signature cuisine, served family-style by Greenway and some of his teamates. Christian Ponder, Kevin Williams and Cullen Loeffler will be serving steak, big elbow to big elbow, alongside Greenway. Vikings announcer Paul Allen may also join him on the wait staff that night.

Reservations for the dinner can be made at www.ChadGreenway.org.

Lead the Way has has three signature programs to help sick kids and their families: The TendHER Heart Luncheon, The Field of Dreams and Chad’s Locker.

Chad said mothers tend to be the primary caregivers for sick children and often experience the most unrelenting stress. Each year, the TendHER Heart Luncheon is hosted “to honor mothers of chronically and critically ill children for the sacrifices they make in caring for their ill child."  The mothers are served gourmet breakfast and lunch and sent home with treats, but more importantly, they are able to speak about their experiences and make connections with other women going through similar things. 

The Field of Dreams program was established to present critically and chronically ill children and their families with amazing memories by fulfilling sports wishes and vacation dreams. Planning for a family trip also gives families of sick children a distraction from the daily grind of medical care. 

Finally, Chad's Locker provides patients and their families access to notebook computers, movies and video game systems to help occupy their time during hospital visits. Chad says the locker looks like a regular sports locker, but allows patients and siblings to check out digital entertainment, library-style.