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MOORESVILLE, N.C – Marnie Schneider has been writing for nearly her whole life. 

But, with a family history of service and a constant desire to give back to others, she knew she wanted to use her writing to help communities across the country.

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Schneider, who is the granddaughter of former Philadelphia Eagles owner and Ronald McDonald House founder Leonard Tose, is about to release the second book in her series Football Freddie and Fumble the Dog.

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All of the proceeds from new book – “Football Freddie and Fumble the Dog: Gameday in the Carolinas” – will go to her family’s foundation, A Level Playing Field, which distributes funding to charities related to youth and sports.

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“I already know that with the Carolinas book, I had spoken to the USO (United Service Organization) of North Carolina and the USO of South Carolina, and a few hundred books will be donated to children in North and South Carolina (whose) families are in the military,” Schneider said.

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Money will also be donated to local Ronald McDonald Houses, as well as other local charities.

The book follows a girl, Freddie, and her dog as they explore famous football towns and regions, as well as the sport itself.

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The first book was based in Philadelphia, where Schneider was born and raised.

Schneider said she based the character of Freddie on herself.

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“I had this incredible opportunity to travel with my family on weekends and learn about all these great football cities,” Schneider said. “That was a very special, unique experience that I had. And I thought, ‘Well, not everybody is going to get the chance to go to the Carolinas or Kansas City or D.C.’”

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Schneider said she hoped her books would, among other things, give kids and their families the chance to experience the cities and game that she loves.

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“I grew up with the ability to speak sports,” Schneider said. “And I think for boys and girls, if you can speak a little bit of sports, it really is the universal language. And that’s what we’re really trying to do with Football Freddie and Fumble the Dog, is educate kids on the way they can learn a little bit about football…and at the same time learn about their community or other communities.”

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Schneider has educated her three children – Jonathan, 18; Goldie, 15; and Leonardo, 14 – on the ways of the game.

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That’s one of the reasons Goldie was excited to co-author “Gameday in the Carolinas” with her mom.

“She really wanted to put her imprint on it, and I let her loose and she did a ton of research and collected a lot of great data for the book,” Schneider said. And Goldie enjoyed the experience.

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“The opportunity to co-author this book is something I’m very excited about,” Goldie said in a news release. “I love my new hometown. I had the chance to explore and experience places here that are loaded with incredible history and terrific people!”

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Schneider and her children moved to Mooresville from Los Angeles last year.

“And we had a very nice life out there,” Schneider said. “I knew that my book ‘Gameday in Philadelphia’ was about to be released. And I am solely responsible for the three of them. And I thought, ‘Well, how am I going to do all of this promotion literally across the county?’”

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Knowing that the next few books in her series would take place on the East Coast, Schneider asked her kids if they would be willing to move there.

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“I said, ‘Hey, do you guys want to go on an adventure?’” Schneider said. 

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With her children open to the idea, Schneider began looking around North and South Carolina. She said when she visited Mooresville, it felt right.

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“I thought it would be a great place to raise my kids,” Schneider said. “There was something about the weather, the people, the access to get places that I really felt great about.”

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Schneider’s newest Gameday book will be out near the end of July. 

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She also plans to release two more books – “Gameday in Atlanta” and “Gameday in D.C.” – by the end of this year. 

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Want a copy?

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“Football Freddie and Fumble the Dog: Gameday in the Carolinas” will be released at the end of July. You can preorder a copy now at www.footballfreddie.com. Once the book has been released, it will be available anywhere books are sold, including Main Street Books in Davidson.