49ers QB Brock Purdy to help raise money for cystic fibrosis cure with 'Touchdowns for Charlie'

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy's continued assault on NFL defenses is getting a boost from a local fighter.

Purdy is dedicating each of his touchdowns this season to a 10-year-old Iowa girl, Charlotte “Charlie” Hugunin.

A student in the Norwalk school district, Charlie has had cystic fibrosis since she was born.

Supporters can pledge a specific dollar amount for every Purdy touchdown this season. The money will go to Charlie’s Angels, a fundraising group started by Charlie’s grandmother, Lynn Moore of Kelley.

Charlie’s Angels will donate 100% of the funds raised to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Iowa, which helps fund research for a cure.

“This idea has been with me for a long time,” Moore told the Ames Tribune. “I talked with Brock’s mom, Carrie, and we discussed this before he got hurt last year.”

The idea was in a holding pattern as Purdy recovered from elbow surgery in the off-season. The former Iowa State University quarterback was taken last in the 2022 NFL draft, often known as Mr. Irrelevant. Still, he surprised pundits in his rookie year, rising from his third-string position on San Francisco's depth chart to starting in the 2023 NFC championship game.

“Obviously, he’s remarkable," Moore said. "One guy came up to me when I was wearing my ‘Purdy Special Nephew’ shirt and said, ‘I never did like those 49ers, but boy I’m watching them now."

Purdy has won all 11 of his regular season starts with the 49ers dating back to last season.

He has continued where he left off a season ago, leading San Francisco to a perfect 5-0 record so far this year, having thrown for nine touchdowns without a single interception. The quarterback played at Iowa State for four years, leading the Cyclones to 2020 Fiesta Bowl. ISU beat Oregon, 34-17. Purdy finished his college career as ISU's winningest quarterback, compiling a 30-17 record.

More: Iowa State alum Brock Purdy, 49ers win again. What they're saying about the former ISU QB.

Finding a cure for '65 Roses'

When Charlie was four years old, she asked Moore, “Nana, what does the cure mean?”

“She was little, but she often heard the adults around her talking about raising money for research to help find a cure for her 65 Roses, that’s a phrase they teach kids because it’s easier for them to say and remember and it sounds like cystic fibrosis,” Moore said.

Charlie is an active, intelligent kid with many friends who loves playing soccer and dancing. But she also has to take several pills while going through hours of therapy each day to help keep her lungs clear. She also must eat food through a tube, which can take an hour for her parents, Tim and Jenny Hugunin, to administer.

Moore told her cures make the disease go away.

"She smiled and told me that she loved me,” Moore said. “She told me thank you for helping her not be sick anymore and helping find a cure for 65 Roses.”

More: Matt Campbell helps Charlie's Angels group support cystic fibrosis research in Ames

Brock Purdy: 'Aunt Lynn, I love you'

The Purdy family has been generous supporters of Charlie’s Angels, which has caught the eye of several Iowa State coaches, including head Cyclone football coach Matt Campbell.

Campbell participates in an annual summer event, Lunch with Coach, where he discusses the importance of supporting Charlie and the fight for a cure. It’s also a time when he updates attendees about the coming season and answers questions from the crowd. It's an event Campbell has done since year one as Iowa State's coach.

As a longtime Cyclone fan, Gridiron Club member, and Charlie’s Angels founder, Moore has built a special friendship with the Purdy family and told Brock’s mom, Carrie, about Touchdowns for Charlie.

“Carrie told me, ‘Brock said you could use any picture you want and can say anything about him that you want,'" Moore said. "'And oh, by the way, Aunt Lynn, I love you.'"

Supporters can pledge per TD or make flat donations

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Iowa has a page on its website, passion.cff.org, where people can sign up to pledge for each touchdown. There are no set amounts, Moore said. They can sign up for $1 a TD or as much as they want.

The webpage will also accept donations for set amounts.

There are also sponsorship opportunities in the “Touchdowns for Charlie” campaign.

Sponsorship levels include a $1,000 Cure Sponsor, with a logo or name recognition on print and electronic materials, social media recognition and logo on the event website; a $650 Rose Sponsor, with social media recognition and a logo on the event website; and a $250 Touchdown Sponsor, with a logo on the event website.

Ronna Faaborg is a reporter for the Ames Tribune. Reach her at rlawless@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Brock Purdy pledges 'Touchdowns for Charlie' for cystic fibrosis cure