Grasshopper and J-Mac
I'm sure many of you have heard the story of Jason McElwain, better known as J-Mac. He is an autistic student from the Rochester area that wowed the sports world last year by scoring 20 points, including 6 3 pointers, in the final regular season game by Greece Athena High School. He was most recently honored with an ESPY award for the clip. He is a local hero and a hero to Grasshopper.
What many of you don't know, and what I didn't know until just about two weeks ago, is that I actually have a connection to J-Mac as well. It turns out his mother has been my dental hygenist since I was about 14. So I've known her for a LOOOOONG time. And the little snot never told me that J-Mac was her son, even though I knew she had an autistic teenager.
But this isn't what this post is about. Last Wednesday, our local AAA baseball club, the Red Wings, hosted a J-Mac night, and gave out free J-Mac bobbleheads to the first 3000 fans. So of course the Wife took Grasshopper to the game to get some bobbles. Maverick and I would have gone as well, but he had a baseball banquet/picnic to attend the same night. Grasshopper and the Wife were going to get in line to get J-Mac's autograph, but the line was HUGE! So they passed. J-Mac, BTW, got to throw out the first pitch. And unlike many lame guys I've seen that stand halfway between the mound and the plate only to throw a pitch the catcher has to run to get, J-Mac stood on the mound and threw a perfect strike. The kid's got talent!
So anyway, remember how I mentioned I know J-Mac's mom? Well, it turns out that the way I found out about it is I ran into J-Mac's aunt, his mom's twin sister (who also works in my dentist's office), while sending a package to E-lo. She was getting clips from the paper after the ESPY awards laminated and I was like, "Holy cow, Jason is your nephew? I never knew!" We chatted for a few minutes and I found out that J-Mac was going to be at the opening of a Quiznoes that a friend of the family owned. That date just happened to be this past Saturday. So we saddled Grasshopper up, grabbed the bobbleheads and ticket studs, and ran on out there. This time, there was no line whatsoever, and we not only got our bobbles and tickets signed, we purchased a shirt for autism research that J-Mac signed as well.
He was a great guy. He wants to move to LA cause there's no drama in LA! Can you imagine! Grasshopper got his picture taken with him and I swear it's the same kid seperated by 10 years. But you don't have to take my word for it! Just check out these shots!
Here's Grasshopper at the game holding his trusty (and well loved) beagle Tyler holding the J-Mac bobbles.
Here's J-Mac and Grasshopper together. Aren't they cool! Grasshopper thought he was going to be shy around him but walked right up and said hello. J-Mac is such a great kid. None of this has gone to his head and he acts like none of it is any big deal.
I must vent just a sec, though, on crappy assholes some people can be. The day after the Red Wings game, guess what you found on Ebay? That's right, J-Mac bobbleheads. Some of them going for over $100! People went to that game not to support autism, or J-Mac, or anything else, but to make a buck. And it makes me sick. One or two sellers even said they would donate 10% to charity! How magnanimous of them! It cost like $7 to get in the game, the bobbles and autograph were free, so if it sells for $100, even after the ticket, parking, and donation to charity, they still make out with $75! That is SOOOOO generous of them! I'd be more impressed if the donated ALL the proceeds to charity.
I don't want this to end on a down note, however. So I'm letting everyone know that the Walk for Autism Research is going on next month. We just got our packet today. J-Mac's aunt (who I mentioned above) is one of the organizers and J-Mac is walking in the event (as we are) so we hope it will generate lots of interest and donations. As soon as we have our stuff sorted out, I'll be posting details for those of you who would like to support us. Also, I'll be posting in a day or two about another campaign we'll be starting to help a co-worker of the Wife. It's almost time to turn bloggers loose and show what big hearts you guys got.
What many of you don't know, and what I didn't know until just about two weeks ago, is that I actually have a connection to J-Mac as well. It turns out his mother has been my dental hygenist since I was about 14. So I've known her for a LOOOOONG time. And the little snot never told me that J-Mac was her son, even though I knew she had an autistic teenager.
But this isn't what this post is about. Last Wednesday, our local AAA baseball club, the Red Wings, hosted a J-Mac night, and gave out free J-Mac bobbleheads to the first 3000 fans. So of course the Wife took Grasshopper to the game to get some bobbles. Maverick and I would have gone as well, but he had a baseball banquet/picnic to attend the same night. Grasshopper and the Wife were going to get in line to get J-Mac's autograph, but the line was HUGE! So they passed. J-Mac, BTW, got to throw out the first pitch. And unlike many lame guys I've seen that stand halfway between the mound and the plate only to throw a pitch the catcher has to run to get, J-Mac stood on the mound and threw a perfect strike. The kid's got talent!
So anyway, remember how I mentioned I know J-Mac's mom? Well, it turns out that the way I found out about it is I ran into J-Mac's aunt, his mom's twin sister (who also works in my dentist's office), while sending a package to E-lo. She was getting clips from the paper after the ESPY awards laminated and I was like, "Holy cow, Jason is your nephew? I never knew!" We chatted for a few minutes and I found out that J-Mac was going to be at the opening of a Quiznoes that a friend of the family owned. That date just happened to be this past Saturday. So we saddled Grasshopper up, grabbed the bobbleheads and ticket studs, and ran on out there. This time, there was no line whatsoever, and we not only got our bobbles and tickets signed, we purchased a shirt for autism research that J-Mac signed as well.
He was a great guy. He wants to move to LA cause there's no drama in LA! Can you imagine! Grasshopper got his picture taken with him and I swear it's the same kid seperated by 10 years. But you don't have to take my word for it! Just check out these shots!
Here's Grasshopper at the game holding his trusty (and well loved) beagle Tyler holding the J-Mac bobbles.
Here's J-Mac and Grasshopper together. Aren't they cool! Grasshopper thought he was going to be shy around him but walked right up and said hello. J-Mac is such a great kid. None of this has gone to his head and he acts like none of it is any big deal.
I must vent just a sec, though, on crappy assholes some people can be. The day after the Red Wings game, guess what you found on Ebay? That's right, J-Mac bobbleheads. Some of them going for over $100! People went to that game not to support autism, or J-Mac, or anything else, but to make a buck. And it makes me sick. One or two sellers even said they would donate 10% to charity! How magnanimous of them! It cost like $7 to get in the game, the bobbles and autograph were free, so if it sells for $100, even after the ticket, parking, and donation to charity, they still make out with $75! That is SOOOOO generous of them! I'd be more impressed if the donated ALL the proceeds to charity.
I don't want this to end on a down note, however. So I'm letting everyone know that the Walk for Autism Research is going on next month. We just got our packet today. J-Mac's aunt (who I mentioned above) is one of the organizers and J-Mac is walking in the event (as we are) so we hope it will generate lots of interest and donations. As soon as we have our stuff sorted out, I'll be posting details for those of you who would like to support us. Also, I'll be posting in a day or two about another campaign we'll be starting to help a co-worker of the Wife. It's almost time to turn bloggers loose and show what big hearts you guys got.
Comments