"We name an honorary captain for each game to bring special attention to someone who has represented WKU and Bowling Green in a special way, and we are honored to have Dylan serve as our honorary captain for this Saturday's game," Head Coach Willie Taggart said. "Dylan's story is very inspiring, and he is to be commended for his courage and dedication. Dylan is a terrific role model not only for other children, but also for adults of all ages."
Beckham became an advocate against bullying when he saw one of his friends being bullied. "I saw one of my friends at school, and he was getting picked on and I didn't think that was too cool," he told the Bowling Green Daily News.
Beckham has two objectives: decreasing bullying while increasing autism awareness. The bullying incident spurred him to become a "voice" for a campaign dedicated to individuals who have faced any type of ridicule by raising $30,000 for the Kelly Autism Program. If you would like to help Dylan reach his goal, please contact the Kelly Autism Program at 270-745-4527. Beckham also served as the chair person for the annual Life Skills/Kiwanis Run for Autism in October.
"Some people that have Autism, they can't help that they were born with that disability and it's not their fault, because they're special on the inside," Beckham said. "I've recognized that some people make fun of kids with autism. But I see it the other way around - it's not funny. I see people with autism (as being) special, God gave this to them for some special reason."
