Gophers coach Jerry Kill on Thursday announced that he was starting the Chasing Dreams fund through the Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota.

Kill and his wife, Rebecca, donated $100,000 and have an initial goal of raising $500,000. They already have one corporate sponsor in the Upsher-Smith pharmaceutical company, headquartered in Maple Grove.

The money will help fund seizure-smart school initiatives, along with Camp Oz, a specially designed camp for epilepsy patients in Hudson, Wis.

"We want to get in every single school in the state of Minnesota and educate them on how to handle seizures in the schools," Kill said. He added, "We want to keep Camp Oz going for a long time."

Kill, 52, was diagnosed with epilepsy in 2005 and has missed parts of four games in three seasons at Minnesota because of seizures. Last October, after a seizure kept him from joining the team for its game at Michigan, Kill took a two-week leave.

He coached from the press box for the team's final seven games before returning to the sideline for the second half of the Texas Bowl.

Kill said, "I wouldn't be standing here today" if it weren't for Rebecca Kill and others knowing what to do when he had his October seizure.

"They saved my life, and now it's time for me to help others in our great state," Kill said.