The Falcons and Saints have been rivals for 50 seasons but Friday night Atlanta owner Arthur Blank said he’s been inspired by a former New Orleans player.
Ex-safety Steve Gleason, who once blocked a punt against Blank’s Falcons in 2006, is fighting ALS, a disease that impacts the lives of more than 6,000 people each year. He is the subject of a new documentary titled “Gleason.”
At a screening Friday night in Atlanta, Blank’s foundation donated $100,000 to The Gleason Initiative Foundation to help provide innovative communication equipment to people with ALS.
“Steve Gleason’s story touched me as a father and recent cancer survivor,” Blank said. “Stories like his bring into focus what is truly important. His story is about a life that was dramatically changed by a disease, and how he has courageously chosen to face it. It’s about family and what is most important in life – more important than any game, any play or any rivalry ever will be.”