49ERS DO THEIR PART

ASSOCIATED PRESS

September 16, 2001

From owner John York to kicker Jose Cortez, members of the San Francisco 49ers' organization gave 70 pints of blood.

In a gesture that was both practical and symbolic in the wake of Tuesday's terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, members of the 49ers abandoned practice to huddle at the Peninsula Blood Bank.

"Since we had the whole team here, there was an overwhelming desire to do something instead of sitting on our hands," York said.

The players were in meetings on Thursday morning when the NFL announced it had postponed the weekend's games. Almost the entire team and front office agreed to take two buses to the blood center up the peninsula to Burlingame.

Afterward, smiling players walked back to the buses wearing red stickers on their sweatsuits, indicating they had given blood.

"It's just important to do what you can to help, because some of us feel helpless out here on the West Coast," said guard Dave Fiore, a native of New Jersey who also played at Hofstra. "I'm just grateful that everybody I know [is all right]. It's the only relief to me."