IOWA CITY, Iowa – As her husband prepares for his 20th season as the Iowa football coach, Mary Ferentz is gearing up for an annual event that is dear to her heart.

The Iowa Ladies Football Academy will be held on June 9th at Kinnick Stadium, marking the eighth consecutive year that the event will raise money for pediatric reserach at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital.

Mary Ferentz is currently promoting the event as its founder and director and she spent nearly 90 minutes on Monday providing details and telling stories about why it's so special to her.

The academy has become a never-ending mission for Mary Ferentz. In 2006, she and her husband donated $250,000 to permanently endow the Ferentz Family Pediatric Research and Education Fund. In 2012, the Iowa Ladies Football Academy pledged $1 million toward the hospital’s construction. It opened in late February, costing $360 million.

Mary and her husband, Kirk Fernetz, also donated $1 million to the Stead Family Children's Hospital last August.

Last year's event brought nearly 300 women ranging in age from 18 to nearly 80 to the Iowa football complex for tours, for training and interacting with the Iowa players and coaches and to support a noble cause. It also raised approximately $230,000.

In addition to promoting the event, Mary Ferentz also talked about being the wife of Kirk Ferentz and the mother of three former Iowa football players. She told some funny stories about her husband and about her three sons that we think you'll enjoy.

We appreciate Mary being our guest on the AllHawkeyes podcast and admire the work she does to raise money for pediatric research.