Outstanding job sir
http://nolesports.tallahassee.com/artic ... /812210314
Originally published December 21, 2008
Former FSU standout Dunn keeps making the holidays special
By Don Yaeger
SPECIAL TO THE DEMOCRAT
It was nearly two weeks ago — and the morning after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost a tough Monday-night game — when Warrick Dunn arose like a kid on Christmas. For him it was.
On that day, he was set to give away two more homes in his Homes For the Holidays program — which sets single-parent families up with homes they otherwise could never afford. By the time the day was done, Dunn's 12-year-old program had unlocked the doors to home ownership for 83 families, allowing 221 children to grow up in a house their parent could call their own.
This day was special not just because both homes were in the Tampa area, where the program began. It was special because the second family Dunn would surprise looked eerily like his own. It provided Dunn with a moment he didn't let pass.
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"I love doing this at this time of year because Christmas is a time for memories," Dunn said. "And these families are now able to create lasting memories in a safe environment. That was something I didn't have."
Dunn's first stop was in New Port Richey, where he presented a home to Sarah Cooke and her 15-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter. Walking through the front door of the completely furnished three-bedroom, two-bathroom home reduced Cooke to tears. The family was so shocked to find Dunn standing in the driveway when they arrived that Cooke wasn't sure what to do with her son — he was wearing a New England Patriots jersey. She quickly found him another shirt.
Dunn then drove to Dade City where he had a similar surprise for Robin Knight and her six children. The five-bedroom home that Knight and her family will enjoy on Christmas morning brought back strong memories for Dunn.
Warrick Dunn was the oldest of six children born to Betty Smothers, a Baton Rouge police officer who was shot and killed in a robbery at a bank. After an All-American career at Florida State, he remains one of the most beloved players in school history. He has also become one of the most respected players in the NFL for his on-field talents and, more importantly, his willingness to give back to the community.
Dunn acknowledges that his program aimed at single parents was born of memories made watching his mother struggle to keep a roof over the head of her children.
"Congratulations. Here's my mother's dream," Dunn has often said as he pulls keys from his pocket.
As Dunn waited on Knight and her children to arrive, he marveled at how big the house was and how "awesome it would be to ride a bike around this house and play football in this yard."
When the family pulled up, Dunn made it a point to pull Knight's oldest child, 16-year-old Lenwood Smith, aside.
"I wanted to have a heart to heart," Dunn said. "I wanted to tell him I knew what he was facing and that he needed to always be an example for those younger kids."
Smith was star-struck, telling reporters afterward that it would take awhile before he could fully grasp what had just happened.
"That was special," Dunn said of the conversation with Smith. "I saw a lot of me, a lot of memories."
