This is such a sweet and classy move!
Philadelphia Eagles star safety Anthony Harris gave an 11-year-old fan an unforgettable experience last week, escorting her to a daddy-daughter dance down in Texas as she sadly lost both her father and grandfather recently.
The NFL star stepped up for pre-teen Audrey Soape — who is a huge fan of Harris’ play on the field for Philly — by surprising her with an incredible outing at the daddy-daughter dance at her school.
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According to NBC 10 Philadelphia, the 30-year-old pro athlete took action after Soape’s mom Holly reached out to him about stepping in as an escort. The little girl had recently lost both her father and grandfather, and Audrey’s mom was hoping the girl’s favorite football player could fill in.
For a few weeks before the late January event, with the Eagles still playing in the playoffs, it looked as though things might not happen. But once they were eliminated from Super Bowl contention, it became clear the former University of Virginia football star could step in! So… silver lining?
Holly told local media outlets that Harris IMMEDIATELY understood how important the event was for little Audrey, and he didn’t hesitate to go above and beyond to make things special:
“I just asked if he would come, if he’d be willing to come, and he said, ‘not only will I come, I want to make sure she feels like a princess.'”
Awww!
That’s so sweet!
Audrey told local news outlets that she didn’t get the big news until less than a week before the dance itself. Unfortunately, she joked, that was still enough time for her to get nervous about messing up in front of everyone while dancing with the former Minnesota Vikings standout. LOLz!
Still, judging by pics published from the memorable event, it seems as though the whole thing went off without a hitch! Vember Photo showed off the snaps in an Instagram pic slideshow (below), led off by a truly incredible reveal shot showing Harris taking his date to the dance:
OMG! So cute!
BTW, Harris made good on his princess comment! Not only did he foot the bill for Audrey’s dress, shoes, and makeup for the night, he also sent a driver by to her house to pick her up in a car for the night! Truly the star treatment!
Speaking to NBC 10 Philadelphia about his decision to step up in such an amazing fashion, the gridiron great said:
“I’m just trying to be a human, trying to take off the helmet, trying to take off the cape of what I do professionally and just show some sympathy for that family and try to show some support there. … You gotta cherish these moments. You never know how long we have here on this Earth. So, the people that you care about and you love, show support for them.”
Well said!
Here are some more incredible highlights from the evening event (below):
So sweet!
Truly a once-in-a-lifetime type of night, and Audrey will have some incredible memories to cherish forever.
Great job stepping up in what otherwise could have been a very sad situation, Anthony!
[Image via NBC 10 Philadelphia/YouTube/Anthony Harris/Instagram]
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