Pro Player Foundation Hosts 2026 rEECh + Flavors of Austin April 18, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
PRO PLAYER FOUNDATION TO HOST rEECh PANEL 2026 + FLAVORS OF AUSTIN IN AUSTIN, TEXAS TO SPREAD MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS OUTREACH, AWARENESS, AND ENGAGEMENT.
Pro Player Foundation is returning to Austin, Texas for its 2026 rEECh Collaborative Panel Series + signature Flavors of Austin event. PPF MS Ambassador and bestselling author Tyler Campbell will host the 11th rEECh panel at the Fairmont Austin with Panelists Dr. John A. Lincoln MD, Dr. Michlene Passeri MD, nurse practitioner Alexandra Rossi and patient advocate Gabe Lemon. Tyler and renowned medical professionals will accompany him on the Panel with the intention to increase awareness, outreach, and engagement around Multiple Sclerosis. The doors for the Panel will open at 2:45 p.m. CST for the MS community to fill the room and prepare for the start of the MS conversation. The rEECh Collaborative Panel will begin at 3:00 p.m. CST. Tyler and the panelists will discuss the ongoing Create Your MS Gameplan campaign and share stories regarding their own journeys around the disease while furthering the conversation about living with Multiple Sclerosis and resource finding. Pro Football Hall of Fame member Andre Johnson will attend the event to lend his support. Pro Player Foundation also welcomed several former University of Texas greats, including Fozzy Whittaker, Jordan Whittington and DeMarvion Overshown.
Our 2026 tour will kickoff in Austin, Texas, on Saturday, April 18 at the Fairmont Austin in Downtown Austin, Texas and will be followed by a trip to Nashville, Tennessee in October 2026. Pro Player Foundation salutes its Heisman sponsor Biogen, Orange Zone sponsor Novartis, Gridiron sponsors ANI Pharmaceuticals and TG Therapeutics, Tyler Rose Sponsors Zenas BioPharma, the Graves Foundation, ResorTime and 1011i.com, All-Star sponsors Dr. Jacqueline Dupont-Carlson and Marc Carlson, the McCombs Foundation, and the Official Car Service of Pro Player Foundation, VIP Driver.
WHO & WHAT:
The Pro Player Foundation will host an in-person and live-streamed #rEECh Collaborative Panel in Austin, Texas, on Saturday, April 18, 2026. Pro Player Foundation Ambassador and inspirational speaker Tyler Campbell will emcee his 11th rEECh Collaborative Panel, designed to continue spreading knowledge through the Create Your MS Gameplan campaign and target underrepresented communities affected by Multiple Sclerosis. The 2026 Texas Panel will feature leading experts in multiple sclerosis and neuroimmunology, including Dr. John A. Lincoln, MD, PhD, a board-certified neurologist with UT Physicians and Associate Professor at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, whose work focuses on the causes and progression of MS, and Dr. Michlene Passeri, MD, a board-certified neurologist and Assistant Professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch specializing in MS and complex neurological conditions. Also joining the panel are Alexandra Rossi, FNP-BC of UT Health Austin’s Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Center, who provides collaborative, patient-centered care, and patient advocate Gabe Lemon, a former San Diego State football player who channels his MS journey into mentorship through his nonprofit, Define Yourself, and his performance training business, G6 Performance Training.
Following the Panel, Pro Player Foundation’s signature event Flavors of Austin will commence at the Fairmont Austin in the Palm Park Ballroom, beginning at 6:00 p.m. Guests will indulge in some of Austin’s finest Tasting Stations presented by 3 Small Plates, Bravo Company BBQ, Cinful Sweets, Dusk 2 Dawn, Fleming's Steakhouse, Plated Life, Ranch 616, Rules & Regulations, Sinsational Cakes, Terry Black's BBQ and The University of Texas Club. Flavors of Austin will feature the Drew Fish Band as the live musical entertainment, known for energetic live shows and a blend of Texas country, honky-tonk, and rock influences. DJ D-Money will bring the energy out on the Palm Court courtyard.
WHERE:
Saturday, April 18, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. CST
Hosted in the Palm Park Ballroom at the Fairmont Austin Hotel in the heart of downtown.
Viewers can join in on the discussion by visiting Earl Campbell’s Facebook Page at facebook.com/thetylerrose, the Pro Player Foundation website at proplayerfoundation.org/eec-panel or Twitch on twitch.tv/mssociety.
Instagram: @proplayerfoundation
Twitter: @ProPlays
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ProPlayerFoundation
WHY:
Nearly one million people in the United States are living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The Pro Player Foundation has identified a significant gap in education and awareness about MS, particularly within underrepresented communities. To help address this need, the Foundation created the Educate.Elevate.Collaborate. Initiative, designed to expand outreach and increase engagement across the broader MS community. This multi-faceted initiative works to reduce disparities in education and access through several platforms, including in-person and livestreamed Collaborative rEECh on the Road Panels, a Fotonovela sharing Tyler Campbell’s experience living with MS, and digital awareness campaigns such as “Did You Know?” and “Create Your MS Gameplan.”
Multiple Sclerosis is an unpredictable and often disabling disease that affects the central nervous system. Pro Player Foundation MS Ambassador Tyler Campbell was diagnosed with MS in 2007 while playing football at San Diego State University, but he has remained determined not to let the disease define his future. Today a successful businessman, husband, and father, Campbell views his diagnosis as a source of purpose, sharing, “I now have the opportunity to share my experience to help others living with this disease and make an impact on the MS community.” He also hosts the weekly radio program “Real Lyfe, Reel Talk” on ESPN (@1027ESPN) and authored The Ball Came Out: Life from the Other Side of the Field, available on Amazon. The Pro Player Foundation remains committed to advancing awareness, supporting the MS community, and providing hope to individuals living with the disease and the families who support them.
As the Pro Player Foundation marks 20 years of community service, the rEECh on the Road Panel Series has become an important platform for extending the organization’s mission into underserved and underrepresented communities. Through special events, educational campaigns, and collaborative projects, the Foundation works to meet a wide range of community needs. Over the years, Pro Player Foundation has launched numerous initiatives and events, including the Great Australian BBQ and Night Golf Tournament, Holiday Kicks for Kids, 12’s Day of XMAS, Flavors of the Gaslamp, Flavors of Austin, Flavors of New England, the Lights On Bowl, Lights On Comedy Jam, JBowl, A Pro Play MS Day, BBQ & Boots, and the current Educate.Elevate.Collaborate. Initiative.
The Foundation has also supported many organizations, including the Alpha Project for the Homeless, National MS Society, Can Do MS, Multiple Sclerosis Association of America, Illumination Foundation, Fundación de Esclerosis Múltiple de Puerto Rico, Jammer Family Foundation, San Pasqual Academy for Foster Children, Rady Children’s Hospital, Salvation Army, Teen Adolescent Placement Services, American Cancer Society, Parent Project for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Research, LT’s Changing Lives Foundation, Ecumenical Partnership for Housing, and the Muscular Dystrophy Association. By partnering with athletes and community leaders, Pro Player Foundation continues to pursue its mission of addressing diverse philanthropic needs and creating meaningful impact through collaboration and shared purpose.