Continued: Vikings play ballgame for charity, then depart

The Vikings won't practice in full again until the start of training camp July 31, but a number of players gathered for a good cause Saturday before scattering for vacation.

About two dozen players participated in a charity softball game that benefitted the E.J. Henderson Youth Foundation. Held at the University of Minnesota's Siebert Field, the event raised money to help support Henderson's Urban Youth Outreach program, which offers kids training in life skills, academic aid and physical fitness programs.

Henderson, the team's star middle linebacker, said nearly 100 kids participate in the program right now and he hopes to add another 100 by next year.

"I think the kids are buying into what we're giving them because they're proving that it works," he said. "They see improvements in themselves, not just physically but mentally, attitude-wise. I think their actions speak for themselves."

Henderson's goal is to raise $900,000 in 2009 to serve urban youth in the Twin Cities.

Cornerback Cedric Griffin said he felt "relaxed" during offseason workouts after signing a contract extension in March. He said he's confident that his counterpart, Antoine Winfield, will have his contract situation resolved soon, too.

Winfield, who is entering the final season on his six-year deal, did not attend the voluntary Organized Team Activities after contract talks broke down last month.

"It will definitely work itself out," Griffin said. "It happens every year. Someone on some team always has a contract issue. It will work out at the end. Antoine is a great player, and I want to continue to play with Antoine because we make a great tandem."

The Vikings rewarded Griffin with a five-year contract extension worth more than $25 million, including $10 million in guarantees. Griffin, who turns 27 in November, showed significant improvement over the course of last season and finished second on the team in tackles, passes defensed and forced fumbles.

"Once any team signs you to an extension, it just shows you the commitment of the team and ownership and lets the player know he's doing well," Griffin said. "That breeds a lot of confidence inside you."

Second-year center John Sullivan, who is replacing the departed Matt Birk, said he felt good about the progress he made during OTAs and minicamp. Childress and a number of Vikings said they saw no signs of hesitancy from Sullivan in making calls at the line of scrimmage, which is a key job of the center.

"Everybody is depending on me," Sullivan said. "As a center, you have a lot of responsibilities. I'm not going to let my teammates down. I'm going to work as hard as possible to get those calls right."

• Punter Chris Kluwe won the home run competition with three. Defensive linemen Kevin Williams, Fred Evans and Kenechi Udeze and placekicker Taylor Mehlhaff combined for zero home runs.

• Head athletic trainer Eric Sugarman attended the softball event. ESPN had reported Friday that a member of the coaching staff and a trainer would travel to Mississippi to check on retired quarterback Brett Favre in the next few days.