The Carebridge by Rick Willis

About the book

In August of 1980, Kwame Kyler of Camp Springs, Maryland, attends his long awaited first youth football practice for the Camp Springs Tigers. To begin practice, the coach instructs his young players to run a lap around the field. Before completing the lap, Kwame Kyler collapses and dies.

In Nashville, Tennessee, a police officer and coach for the Flatrock Vols youth football team, is emotionally taken by a newspaper article sharing the events surrounding Kwame Kyler's inspirational life and tragic death. The Flatrock coach is so moved by the article; he takes it to his practice and shares it with his young players. His team then decides to dedicate their season to this distant and fallen comrade.

Upon making contact with Kwame's parents and coach, inspirational and moving events begin snowballing, unveiling some racial issues along the way, and the Nashville/Camp Springs connection becomes newsworthy. Plans are born and preparations begin for the Kwame Kyler Memorial Football Game to be played between the Tigers and Vols in Nashville, Tennessee. The story grows to where it is shared on the floor of the United States Senate and is also the subject of a moving Paul Harvey Commentary.

The story culminates on November 29, 1980, which is the day of the much anticipated ball game to be played in honor of Kwame. This date is proclaimed by the governor to be Kwame Kyler Day in the state of Tennessee. During post game ceremonies, Kwame's parents receive the governor's proclamation and are also presented a Key to the City by the mayor of Nashville.

Kwame's father, Phil Kyler, concludes the ceremonies with a heartfelt and moving thank you speech suggesting a beautiful bridge, assembled with love and caring, has connected the two communities. He goes on to share how everyone's efforts have truly helped his family during the most difficult times following their son's death. He then concludes his speech when he informs, "Rick Willis, my new brother, your wonderful and precious little Vols played great, but they never had a chance to win this game. Because you see, the Vols had eleven boys on the field but the Tigers had twelve. Our son, Kwame was out there the whole game."

About the author

Rick Willis was born in Nashville Tennessee, in 1950, where he attended public schools, college and later graduated from the Nashville Metropolitan Police Department Training Academy in 1971. He retired from the force, with the rank of sergeant, in 2003. His many years in law enforcement, and working with the children of Nashville, yielded a substantial memory bank. In his first writing, he shares highlights of both.

In 2004, he met the lovely and talented entertainer Katherine Kay, whose spouse was also deceased, and joined her on stage. They married in 2005 and continue today performing their twenty first century type Sonny & Cher act. Through their union; they collectively became the parents of seven and grandparents of fourteen. Rick fondly enjoys informing their audiences, "At family gatherings, I hire security and bouncers."

In 1980, he experienced a life changing event when he learned of the inspirational life and tragic death of eight-year-old Kwame Kyler. For many years, now, it has been his dream and goal to not only share this story, through The Carebridge, but to someday establish the Kwame Kyler Foundation to aid medically ill children. He truly believes; Kwame Kyler's life and death distended into a drop of rain creating a far reaching wake.