Colts Make It Personal in Monticello
Fans of all ages rushed into the Make It Personal stop in Monticello on Wednesday to meet Colts wide receiver Austin Collie and quarterback Curtis Painter.
The Make It Personal stops hosted by the Colts are a chance for the team to give back to the community by bringing the Colts to the fans. The events are also a place for fans to get to know one another through a common interest in the team. For three men, the Make It Personal stops have brought a friendship based on a mutual love of the Colts.
Doug Story, Grayson Irwin, and Brian Buck have each attended multiple Make It Personal stops this summer. The three have been among the first few fans in line at each event, and their common interest has led to a friendship.
Brian has traveled all over the state to attended nine Make It Personal stops this summer, joining new friends Doug and Grayson for four of those stops. Each has their own reasons for loving the Colts, but they all agree that the Colts are the best team and can't see themselves being fans for any other team.
Doug has been a fan of the Colts for years, and vividly remembers attending the parade and rally following the Colts defeat of the Bears in SuperBowl XLI.
"It was amazing," said Doug. "I couldn't believe I got to be a part of that moment in football history. It was great to be able to see how excited the players and fans were, and to see how excited the players were to share their win with the fans that supported them."
The three men have waited countless hours in line throughout the summer to show their support for the Colts. Brian, a recently recruited fan of the Colts, says he has a lot of support to make up for, since he was not a fan until this past season. He has tried to attend as many events as he can to show that he is dedicated, and to get to know the team in a more personal way. Brian was especially excited to see Colts quarterback Curtis Painter, and says he has been watching Painter play since he was at Purdue.
All agree that the reason they continue coming out to the Make It Personal stops is because they enjoy the way the Colts come to fans, rather than fans always having to travel to see the team. The atmosphere, the players, and the hospitality are three things that draw the trio back, and, if anything, the events have made them even bigger fans than they already were. The chance to meet players in person is something they love, especially since none of the three get the chance to attend every game live.
There are many more Colts events in the future for Doug, Grayson, and Brian. The three all plan on attending at least one more Make It Personal stop this summer, and look forward to seeing each other, standing at the front of the line, soon.
