His team may not have had a winning season, but Chargers kicker John Carney is a big winner in the eyes of many, particularly a group of formerly disfigured young people.
Carney has helped collect donations for Fresh Start Surgical Gifts Inc., an Encinitas-based nonprofit that provides reconstructive surgery to children suffering from physical deformities caused by birth defects, accidents or other reasons.
This year the program called Kick Start for Kids raised $80,000, including a $30,000 grant from NFL Charities. Donations are given for each point Carney scores in a season; this year he scored 115 points.
In the seven years the program has been running, Carney has helped raise more than $400,000.
With the funds, a team of volunteer doctors and medical support staff will conduct about a dozen surgeries on Jan. 22 and 23 in San Diego.
In addition, the Fresh Start staff will also provide dental surgery, speech therapy, laser treatments and check-ups to more than 30 previous and prospective patients, said Fresh Start medical program director Allison Saxman.
“Most of the children who are receiving surgeries this year come from the San Diego/Tijuana area, but in the past patients have come from the Philippines, Russia and other parts of the world.”
Since its start in 1991 by Dr. Dennis Nigro, Fresh Start Surgical Gifts has coordinated and performed more than $5 million worth of free procedures. The organization opened a new chapter last October in Johnson City, Tenn.
