Business & Tech

Atlanta Falcons Star Turns to Suwanee To Help Family

Running back Turner helps bake goodies at Gimme Some Suga to raise awareness for Crohn's Disease.

The Atlanta Falcons' 2012 training camp opens Wednesday (July 25), and starting running back Michael Turner warmed up by ... baking cupcakes.

Would he include some of the goodies at Gimme Some Suga bakery bar in Suwanee in his pre-camp meal? "I'm here to help bake," Turner said, laughing.

Turner, a Falcons star since 2008 and a Suwanee resident, chose the bakery bar to begin a series of community outreach events, and there's a method. Turner is trying to raise awareness for Crohn's disease, a digestive disorder that plagues family members. Also, Gimme Some Suga is owned by Tamika Tanner, fiance of Chauncey Davis, a former Falcons player.

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Turner's two twin brothers, age 28, have the inflammatory bowel disorder. According to wikipedia.org, Crohn's disease causes the body's immune system to attack the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms can include vomiting and diarrhea.

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"I had never heard of it (until his brothers showed symptoms)," Turner said Tuesday. "It's not 100 percent curable." He advised people who have such symptoms to consult a physician.

Turner, 30, mixed his baking duties with greeting fans. But it's clear that the cupcakes were not just a media tool.

"Chauncey (Davis) used to bring cupcakes to the locker room," Turner recalled. "They were popular with the linemen."

Suwanee, of course, once was home to the Falcons' training camp, which was located at I-85 and Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road. Under owner Arthur Blank, the team developed its current complex in Flowery Branch.

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But there still are ties to Suwanee. Turner lives in the River Club development, as does Head Coach Mike Smith.

"(Smith lives) right down the street," Turner said, laughing. "He's there watching."

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