Clemson Family Raising Awareness and Support for ClemsonLIFE

May 11, 2021, 1:01 PM

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Clemson Family Raising Awareness and Support for ClemsonLIFE

The Cooper Royall Foundation, started by a diehard Clemson family residing in Charlotte, raised nearly $27,000 for the Clemson LIFE program in a charity golf tournament that partnered with a former Clemson athlete recently.

More from Cameron Barradale (2005 Clemson graduate), who helped start the foundation in honor of his son Cooper:

April was World Autism Month (Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health find the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder is 1 in 54 among children aged 8 years) and it was a great opportunity to reflect on the impact that Clemson University, the Clemson LIFE program and Clemson Athletics have had on those impacted with Intellectual Disabilities over the past decade.

Cameron (’05) and Katie Barradale know very well the impacts that Intellectual Disability can have on a family, a community, and a university. In 2015, Katie and Cam’s oldest son, Cooper, was diagnosed with a rare chromosome disorder (under 100 or so studied cases worldwide), a microduplication of the xp.11.22-23 chromosome. As the counselor put it at their initial appointment, his genetic microduplication compares to copying the entire dictionary, but misspelling one single word.

Now a lively soon to be seven year old, Cooper has subsequently been diagnosed with Autism, and his disorder affects cognitive ability, fine and gross motor skills, and most prominently, his speech. But his diagnosis was not the end of big dreams for him and his parents. Rather, it was Day One of an incredible adventure – the highest highs, the lowest lows, but fortunately for Katie and Cam, always bolstered by the fierce love and support of friends and family.

And there was another thing that provided inspiration in those early years of their journey with Cooper. Many of us remember the incredible College Gameday and ACC features on David Saville, that elevated the platform of the ClemsonLIFE program to a national level – inspiring us all with the work happening at Clemson University for the special needs community. And right there alongside, the constant support and encouragement for the ClemsonLIFE students by Coach Swinney, inspired by his relationship with Gene Stalling’s son John Mark from his days at Alabama. And the way that the football team, and other athletics embraced the LIFE students, elevated them as true peers, and shared their worlds, together.

To Cam and Katie, those Clemson stories came at an incredible time in their lives, and just meant a little bit more. They helped to open their eyes to a range of possibilities for Cooper’s future that they had not yet discovered – for Cooper, and for others like him that may not have been exposed to them yet. And they inspired them to thing bigger about the impact that Cooper could have on this world. They knew that they wanted to do more to help outside of their own family bubble.

And so, on January 1, 2020, the family registered as a 501(c)(3) to establish The Cooper Royall Foundation (Cooper’s first and middle names). With a mission to “provide resources and awareness to amplify the love and understanding of special needs families,“ they “wrap themselves around” the typical offerings found in the K-12 years, and focus on funding and creating initiatives to assist with Pre-school Resources, Life & Employment Skills and Family Support Programs throughout the Carolinas.

Naturally, the first partnership explored was with the ClemsonLIFE program, wholeheartedly supported by their founding Board of Directors, which includes two fellow Clemson grads, and lifelong friends. Designed for students with intellectual disabilities who desire a postsecondary experience on a college campus, the mission of ClemsonLIFE is to provide a coordinated course of study that includes career exploration and life preparation along with self-awareness, discovery, and personal improvement with the ultimate aim for ClemsonLIFE graduates to lead independent lives.

Immediately after creating the foundation, Katie and Cam reached out to program leadership, spent a day on campus with them, toured the facilities on the garden level of “Old Main”, met countless LIFE students and had an incredible lunch at TD’s with students and instructors. As they drove down College Avenue after the tour and headed to grab some tee shirts for their boys, they were grinning ear to ear. The Cooper Royall Foundation was “All In” on ClemsonLIFE.

As their first Foundation gift, a yearly Cooper Royall Foundation Grant-in-Aid was created to assist one student and their family’s journey to attend the ClemsonLIFE program. In recognition of the life-changing work of ClemsonLIFE towards the development of critical living skills for young adults with special needs, it also serves to amplify the lifelong commitment of energy and financial resources that their families devote to their loved ones constant advancement.

A few weeks ago, on the warm, beautiful Charlotte Monday following the Masters, the Foundation hosted their inaugural charity golf tournament – the First Annual Cooper Cup. The first event the foundation was able to host in person (after a year of online fundraising through COVID) was a great success by any measure, selling out with 30 foursomes and a full slate of sponsors.

As has become a common theme, the Clemson family showed up - and they showed out. Beverages were donated by Middle James Brewery, a Charlotte brewery founded by a friend and fellow Clemson grad (and also the proprietor of “The Usual Tailgaters” orange trailer you may have seen in the lower Fike tailgating lot on Gamedays). Friend and ex-baseballer Tyler Lumsden sponsored two foursomes and a ClemsonLIFE themed hole. Clemson friends from Columbia, Nashville, Atlanta made the trip to offer their support. Orange pants, shirts and hats were on full display – and the tiger paw was featured prominently on educational signage throughout the course.

Once scores were tallied and prizes handed out, Cooper Cup tournament director and fellow Clemson grad, Mike Kessler (who split season tickets with Cam for years after graduation) presented Cooper, Katie and Cam with a “big check” that would make Happy Gilmore himself jealous. Total net donations neared $30,000 ($26,600) – and the group is just getting started - already in discussions to expand the tournament field next year, host a golf clinic for special needs individuals during the event, and increase sponsorship opportunities and visibility.

Much of the proceeds from the tournament will benefit ClemsonLIFE. The Foundation plans to continue funding their yearly grant, and are in deep discussions with program leadership to create an initiative to grow the LIFE program’s personnel, resources, and enrollment, without sacrificing the quality and feel of the program. To ensure that more families, individuals and Clemson students can benefit, be inspired by and participate in the LIFE program and all of the peripheral benefits that it offers.

A week later, on a bright, but rainy Saturday in Clemson, the LIFE program held its annual graduation at NewSpring Church. Seventeen hard working graduates of the 2020 and 2021 classes walked the stage, received certificates from President Clements, fist bumps from School of Education Dean Petersen, class rings from the First Lady. As Darien Rencher put it in his graduation keynote speech: “My Clemson story is different because of you guys”. Imagine the thousands of students that can now say the same thing because of the LIFE program.

Darien also offered a shout out to a LIFE graduate, in attendance, David Saville, crediting him (and perhaps Coach Swinney) with the quote that’s become synonymous with LIFE “The only disability in life is a bad attitude”. Sitting in the graduation crowd himself, Cam couldn’t help but smile, knowing the role that David, Coach Swinney and the Clemson Family played to help inspire The Cooper Royall Foundation. In some part, their stories triggered a new adventure – one that is already amplifying the impact that a soon to be seven year old named Cooper can have on special needs families across the Carolinas, and the country.

The Clemson Family is truly changed because of ClemsonLIFE.

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