Glendora Field Goal Contest Winner Gives Prize To Ailing Coach

GLENDORA, CA — A Glendora High School soccer player won a half time contest at last week's football game vs. Bonita High School, and what she did with her winnings warmed the hearts of all involved.

Junior Tiffany Gomez kicked a 30-yard field goal, winning free Chik Fil A for a year. She immediately donated her prize to Bonita High School Assistant Football Coach John Langilotti and his family, to help them as he battles pancreatic cancer.

Langilotti left the hospital and went straight to the football game on Friday night, NBC4LA reported. There, the stands and fans on both sides of the stadium were decked out in purple, for pancreatic cancer awareness.

"Our football team came and visited me at the hospital," Langilotti told the news station. "They were taking it hard. I was encouraging them that I'm a fighter."

At half time, students and teachers presented the Langilotti family with a box of letters of support for their beloved coach.

Glendora fans also rallied around the coach and his family, showcasing that this game meant more than scores on the board. "(Glendora's support) was very heartfelt," he said.

During halftime, Gomez participated in the field goal kick contest, sponsored by Chik Fil A. She was the only one to succeed getting the ball through the uprights, winning the free food contest.

Though she didn't know Langilotti, she understands the fight against cancer and was more than happy to turn around and offer them her winnings. Gomez told NBC4 reporters that her grandmother is undergoing cancer treatment, as well.

"I know how it affects the whole family," she said. "I thought he could use it more than I would."

Glendora Unified School District expressed their pride in their student, and her willingness to be kind and help others.

"Our very own GHS Girls Soccer player Tiffany Gomez hit an amazing 35 yards field goal," the Glendora High School Soccer coach wrote on Twitter. "But that wasn’t the most amazing thing she did. Donating her prize to Coach Langilotti was a beautiful gesture. #tartanproud"