Real winner of Tennessee-Georgia game will be mothers in need

When Georgia plays Tennessee on Nov. 18, the winner will be struggling mothers.A friendly rivalry between SportsCenter's Elle Duncan, a UGA grad, and ESPN's Ryan McGee, a UT alum, started last year.Each sports personality implores their fans to donate to Helping Mamas, Inc., which provides diapers and feminine hygeine products for free.The organization has groups throughout Georgia and in Knoxville.Last year, Volunteer Nation won the rivalry

The Georgia Bulldogs head to Knoxville this weekend to play the Tennessee Volunteers in college football. Regardless of the score, the game’s real winner will be the nonprofit Helping Mamas, Inc.

For the second year, ESPN senior writer Ryan McGee — a UT alum — and SportsCenter’s Elle Duncan — a UGA grad — have a friendly rivalry to raise money for their local Helping Mamas group.

Seeing now struggling moms needed not only diapers for their babies but also feminine hygiene products for themselves, Jamie Lackey founded the group in her garage. By 2018, Helping Mamas had moved to a 9,000-square-foot building in Norcross. According to its website, the group distributes 2 million essential items throughout the state of Georgia and in Knoxville.

Enter McGee and Duncan to help raise awareness and money so the orgazination can continue its good work.

Year two of the friendly TN vs GA Helping Mamas Baby Supply Bank rivalry has begun. In honor of the big game between the...

Posted by Helping Mamas Inc on Wednesday, November 15, 2023

“If you’ve raised a child, and I have, then you know that everything is so expensive, more expensive than it’s ever been,” McGee said in his Instagram post encouraging Vols fans to donate.

With “LET’S GO DAWGS” flashing over her video, Duncan echoed that thought: “Families are so in need of just basic supplies to survive. You notice the cost of everything getting higher. That includes just basic items for babies.”

Tennessee fans won last year’s charity drive, and Duncan implores Bulldog Nation to “out-volunteer the Volunteers” this year.

As of Thursday morning, Georgia fans had donated $370. If you’d like to help, you can give here: www.gagives.org/story/Dawgnation.

Vol Nation, on the other hand, already has $2,585 in its coffers. UT football fans can donate at www.gagives.org/story/Volnation.

And if you couldn’t care less about the rivalry but feel babies need clean diapers and moms deserve help, you can donate directly to Helping Mamas at https://helpingmamas.org/donate/.