Night of Champions 2026: Building Champions Together
There are few places where football, foster care, and community come together quite like Night of Champions.
Now in its sixth year, this special evening once again brought Coyote Hill foster families together with the University of Missouri Football program for a night centered on connection, encouragement, and fun. Through the partnership of For Others, Coyote Hill, and Mizzou Football, children and families were given an experience that went far beyond the game.
The evening began inside Mizzou’s indoor practice facility, where children joined coaches and players for football drills, games, and plenty of laughs. The excitement on their faces was unmistakable as they ran through stations, caught passes, and spent time alongside student-athletes.
“We just feel ultimately very blessed at Mizzou Football, and God’s given us all some phenomenal gifts. And one of our gifts is the gift of sharing, so we want to share and give back as much as we can, and we just absolutely love it,” Assistant Coach Curtis Luper said about partnering with Coyote Hill.
For many of the children, it wasn’t about football at all. It was about having someone cheer them on. It was about hearing their name, sharing a laugh, and knowing they belonged.
Those moments are at the heart of Coyote Hill’s mission. Every child deserves to know they are loved, valued, and never alone, and every foster family deserves a community willing to walk beside them.
After time in the practice facility, everyone gathered for dinner. Coaches, players, foster families, volunteers, and Coyote Hill staff shared a meal together, giving children the opportunity to continue conversations with the athletes. Around the tables, stories were exchanged, questions were asked, and connections were formed that reached far beyond the game of football.
“For me, it gives me an opportunity to give back to so many kids that are deserving because I was once a youngster, and I remember things like this. And just to have the opportunity to create a memory of a lifetime, and for me to have an opportunity to be a part of that, that means so much to me,” Assistant Head Coach Al Pogue said.
One of the evening’s highlights came when Ahmad Hardy shared what this event means to him personally. His message reflected the spirit of the night, that true champions are defined not only by what they accomplish, but by the way they serve and invest in others.
“This event personally to me means a lot because growing up, it was hard as a kid going through things like that. Just showing them love and giving my heart out to them means a lot to me.”
While the evening is filled with exciting moments, what makes Night of Champions so impactful is often found in the quiet ones; a player sitting beside a child at dinner, a coach taking time to encourage a foster parent, or a volunteer watching a family simply enjoy being together.
Those moments remind us that foster care is not a journey meant to be traveled alone.
“We love supporting organizations like Coyote Hill who are doing great things with the child welfare space by supporting children in foster care. This really is an event just to support the community and make sure that we can give them as many resources as possible,” Spencer Shackel, Digital Marketing Manager at For Others, said about Night of Champions.
Night of Champions would not be possible without For Others, whose partnership with Coyote Hill and Mizzou Football has helped make this event a reality year after year. By bringing organizations together around a shared purpose, For Others continues to create opportunities for children and foster families to experience encouragement, belonging, and the support of an entire community. Their commitment, along with the generosity of Mizzou Football’s coaches, players, and staff, has made Night of Champions one of the most anticipated events of the year for Coyote Hill families.
“Coyote Hill and For Others is a really special partnership. We both come from the place of every child has worth and every parent has worth. When you see the world in that way, you naturally form a really greatworking relationship,” Kari Hopkins, COO at Coyote Hill, said.
As families headed home at the end of the evening, they carried more than photos, signed footballs, and memories. They left knowing they have a community standing beside them; a community that believes every child deserves to be celebrated, every foster family deserves support, and every act of kindness has the power to make a lasting difference.
Thank you to For Others, the University of Missouri Football program, our volunteers, and every person who made the 6th Annual Night of Champions possible. Thank you for helping create a night where children were encouraged, families were celebrated, and everyone was reminded that the strongest teams aren’t just built on the field, they’re built through community.
