7 eastern Iowa children named 2026 Hawkeye Kid Captains

IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) - Seven kids from eastern Iowa were chosen for this year’s Kid Captains.

The University of Iowa Health Care picks pediatric patients each football season to honor at games and share their inspirational stories of resilience.

“We are incredibly proud to introduce this year’s Kid Captains and celebrate the courage and resilience they demonstrate every day,” says Jim Leste, chief administrative officer of UI Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital. “Each of these children and their families has an inspiring story, and we look forward to sharing those stories with Hawkeye fans throughout the football season. It is an honor to recognize them as members of the 2026 Kid Captain team.”

Each of the kids and their families will be invited to Kids’ Day on August 15 to get a behind-the-scenes tour of Kinnick Stadium.

2026 Kid Captains

Harlow Taube, from Orion, Illinois, will be the first Kid Captain of the season at the FryFest Northern Illinois game on September 5. Harlow was diagnosed with an extremely rare genetic disorder as a newborn and receives infusion treatments every week at the Stead Family Children’s Hospital.

Charlie Price, from Cedar Rapids, is the Kid Captain for the Cy-Hawk game on September 12. He was diagnosed with a rare, life-threatening bone marrow disorder at four years old. He received a successful bone marrow transplant in May of 2020.

Beau Harvey, from Cascade, is Kid Captain at the Family Weekend UNI game on September 19. He was born with a rare heart defect and received a heart transplant last November.

Lily Lee, from Fort Dodge, will be the Kid Captain when Iowa faces off against Michigan on September 26. Lily was diagnosed with a muscular atrophy disease at 14 months old at the Children’s Hospital. The first therapy was approved for treatment 10 months later, and she continues to receive treatments to slow the progression of the disease.

Eliana Gaul, from Peosta, will be the Kid Captain at the Ohio State game. Eliana was born premature at 25 weeks with spina bifida. She continues to receive care at the Children’s Hospital.

JJ Ward, from Davenport, will be the Kid Captain when the team heads to Seattle to play Washington on October 9. JJ underwent surgery less than a day after he was born to remove part of his small intestine. He was later diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, which can damage organs. He is working with the Children’s Hospital in clinical studies and takes medication to slow the disease.

Kaelyn O’Brien, from Jesup, is the Kid Captain for Iowa’s away game versus Minnesota on October 24. She was diagnosed at 11 with Hodgkin lymphoma. Kaelyn experienced a rare complication where her immune system attacked her brain and had to relearn how to write and walk. She is now in remission after chemotherapy.

Charley Rasmussen, from Marion, is the Kid Captain for the Homecoming Halloween game against Wisconsin. She was diagnosed in 2018 with Addison’s disease, a rare condition in which the body does not produce enough essential hormones. She is now on a care plan to help her thrive.

Ellie Walker, from Clinton, passed this summer at four years old after she was selected as Kid Captain. She will be honored at the November 7 Northwestern game in Evanston, Illinois. Ellie had a rare and aggressive stage four brain cancer. She was known for her determination and joyful spirit.

Beau Byers, from Swisher, will be the Kid Captain at the home game versus Purdue on November 14. Beau was diagnosed with a soft tissue cancer at three years old. After months of chemotherapy and radiation, he is now in remission.

Henry Jaeger, from Keota, is the Kid Captain when Iowa travels to play Illinois on November 21. When he was eight, Henry was diagnosed with a rare heart condition at the Children’s hospital. He received a heart transplant just after his ninth birthday. A complication with his transplant caused him to also develop stage III Hodgkin lymphoma. UIHC says he continues to receive care “and is moving forward with resilience.”

Isaac Raue, from Coggon, will be the last Kid Captain of the season against Nebraska at Kinnick on November 27. Isaac survived a house fire that took the life of his father. He suffered third-degree burns on a quarter of his body. He was able to recover after two months in the burn unit at UIHC.