I would like to welcome all of the FSU and BC fans that learned of our growing online community here at Project 2-4-20. I am actually writing a few days ahead of the game so as to make sure that those inspired into quick action from our story presented this upcoming weekend will know that they are at the right spot.
The story line is quite simple and detailed in earlier entries on this site, which I invite you to review at your convenience. Essentially, I am one of the lucky ones when I was diagnosed with ALS (aka - Lou Gehrig's disease) in September 2007. At this point, you have probably spit your morning coffee all over your monitor, so I will wait until you have a chance to grab a few paper towels and clean that up.............. As I was saying, I am one of the luckily ones on several different fronts. Now admittedly, all the blood testing and diagnostic procedures are no fun and certainly loosing the ability to speak is less than ideal. However, when faced with such a situation as a life threatening illness, you really only have 2 choices when you eliminate all the back ground noise: you either choose to live or you choose to die. I chose to live and I thought that I would do it with a giant exclamation mark!
So where does the luck come in as many of you are probably asking. Well the first thing that you do in this situation is reflect upon your life to date and tally up your personal scorecard. Luckily for me, I was pleasantly surprised in what I found and most importantly I was comfortable with who I was. While I am not a saint by any means, not having a whole host of past transgressions hanging over my head was a God send. Next you come to realize who and what is important in your life. Again, luckily for me, I have an incredible wife and family and an extended support group as evidenced by our mini-football reunion this weekend. Even on my worst days, this support provides a much needed lift. The final stoke of luck is clarity of purpose. I can assure you that there is nothing like the diagnosis of terminal illness to snap your attention to what matters in life. Suddenly the slow driver in the fast lane doesn't bother you so much. What matters is making the most of your remaining years and leaving a lasting legacy, which in my mind includes helping others less fortunate than yourself. At the end of the day, that is my focus; helping others with ALS and finding a sustainable treatment or cure.
This is where you and I can come together for a common cause. In the top right margin corner of this site, you will see a link to my donation site for the ALS Association. As a take off on the Project 2-4-20 theme, I plan on raising $2,042,020for the benefit of the ALS Association. These monies will be put to use in research and development, equipment acquisitions for PALS, home modifications, etc. All I ask is that you take a minute to click on this link and make a donation. To illustrate my commitment to cause, I am personally contributing $5,000 to the effort. While I realize that amount is not doable for a lot of people in these challenging economic times, any donation size is greatly appreciated. Who knows, your donation could be the one that leads to a cure.
For those of you who did not have a chance to read the Tribe at the game, I have copied a draft of the article here. This was created by Rob Wilson, who is a long time principal of the Sports Information Department at FSU and truly one of the good guys. His effort below was an incredible act of giving; one for which I don't have the words to properly express my gratitude. Suffice it to say I am eternally grateful.
From the Press Box vs. Boston College 2008
Florida State and Boston College will complete what we hope will have been a perfect Homecoming experience for nearly 100,000 Seminoles fans and alumni who have almost certainly trod all over campus over the last two days and into tomorrow.
Over the last two days one could see families stopping in front of dorms pointing windows out to small children and likely telling them how they used to live right there. Folks walked across Landis Green showing off Strozier Library and almost surely inflating to anyone listening the number of hours they spent in those hallowed halls.
For some of us the fraternity house that we called home is now a parking lot, but to many more the humble classrooms, laboratories, and lecture halls of our past have been replaced with wonderful state of the art structures that have been skillfully blended into what has truly become one of the most beautiful campuses in the south.
While architecture, familiar locales and football all make Homecoming a great event, it is the people and the memories that perhaps make it most special. Look around tomorrow and you will notice that on Homecoming weekend almost no one is alone. Usually it’s not just couples, but family groups or gaggles of aging men and women trying to relive the good old days. But why are there so many alumni band members charging onto the field in pre-game? Why do former NFL Seminoles make it a point to return. Why are you here?
Just one story of why seven members of Seminole teams of the early 90’s came to campus this weekend and are attending tonight’s game should touch you. This group will not be introduced at halftime to the roar of the crowd despite the fact the names are most familiar to FSU fans. They did not come back for that. While several of them regularly attend games, they are back this weekend to be with a teammate fighting a tougher opponent than Boston College ever thought of being.
Former punter John Wimberly, center Robbie Baker, safeties Bill Ragans and Leon Fowler and kicker Dan Mowrey are back this season with a teammate. I’m sure most Seminole fans can remember the gutty performance of Robbie Baker playing at LSU despite a four-inch gash in his leg. I know anyone over 15 remembers Billy Ragans laying out receivers who dared cross the middle. Most of us marveled at Leon Fowler’s blend of speed and strength. Coaches relied on John Wimberly to boom them out of danger and looked to Dan Mowrey to split the uprights. We have memories of these players and they, in turn, have memories as well.
You can name the Seminoles gathered around a teammate this weekend, but you probably can not name him and that is alright. Keith Jones – not our Keith Jones on Sun Sports and radio – but Keith “pitt-man” Jones came to FSU as a walk-on and battled through all the challenges a non-scholarship player faces eventually earning both playing time and a letter as a linebacker and defensive back. He saw considerable playing time on numerous special teams, but his real satisfaction came from just being a part of the FSU team.
Jones is here today with his teammates, but he can’t tell you how much it means to him. He can’t verbally express what it must feel like to roll through the state of the art locker room that replaced the modest digs where he and teammates dressed and trained. He won’t be able to describe how cool the stadium looks or how impressive the campus seems or how much the guys mean to him.
Jones’ voice, but hardly his spirit, has been silenced by ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Most are aware of the terrible toll this condition takes on those who suffer from it, but Jones and his teammates are determined to make us all more aware of what they can do to help those who have ALS.
“We all learned such great lessons at Florida State from Coach Bowden, Coach Andrews, Coach Amato and Coach Burnham,” said Mowrey. We all learned to strive for greatness not only in football but in everything we do. Keith is the true representative of the ideals we all learned through the game of football. I have no doubt Keith will persevere in his battle with ALS not only physically but emotionally and spiritually. He is a friend and mentor to a lot of us.”
Hopefully in reading this you get the sense that friends and family of former Seminole Keith Jones marvel at him. If you visit his blog at http://www.mkjonesyblog.blogspot.com/ you will to. He is taking on ALS head on and as a sample of his attitude read a bit of this personal mission statement he wrote when diagnosed… “The intent of project 2-4-20 is to live strong and live well through Feb 4, 2020. The concept of merely surviving until I am 50 years old and 1 day is not acceptable…”
Jones’ teammates would like for you to visit Keith’s site and see if you might be able to help those fighting ALS all over the world.
Tonight’s game is the culmination of a great event that occurs once a year on college campuses everywhere. For most of us this week has been all about Homecoming, but for others in the stadium tonight - it is more about coming home.
