Fat Elvis
09-10-2013, 02:36 PM
http://cjonline.com/news/2013-09-10/former-nfl-star-furnishes-local-habitat-home
Former NFL star furnishes local Habitat home
Mother of four receives help from Warrick Dunn, local businesses
Posted: September 10, 2013 - 12:37pm
By Andy Marso
andy.marso@cjonline.com
After years of helping her mother, her four children and her home health aide patients, Dawn Pershall found herself in an unfamiliar situation Tuesday: accepting help from her community and a professional athlete.
Pershall fought back tears as she filled out a social media release form for former NFL running back Warrick Dunn, who stood beside her in the kitchen of her new home, built by Habitat for Humanity and furnished by Dunn's charity.
"I guess this is my address now?" Pershall asked. "So I guess I'm the homeowner? Oh my goodness."
Dunn, a shifty back known for his speed and elusiveness, played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons from 1997 to 2008.
His charity, in partnership with Aaron's Inc., has helped furnish more than 120 homes for single parents. It's a mission inspired by Dunn's mother, a police officer who was killed by armed robbers while off-duty and escorting a businesswoman to make a bank deposit.
"My mom worked day and night, tirelessly," said Dunn, who became his siblings' guardian at age 18.
Dunn's Homes for the Holidays program started in his hometown of Baton Rouge and has expanded to help families throughout the Southeast. Tuesday was its first foray into Kansas and it came courtesy of his biographer's connection to a local business.
Don Yaeger, a former Sports Illustrated editor, co-authored Dunn's 2009 autobiography, Running for My Life. Yaeger also does public speaking work for Advisors Excel, a Topeka-based insurance marketing firm, often incorporating Dunn's story.
Tuesday was Yaeger's third trip to Topeka and the Advisors Excel team decided to surprise him by reaching out to Dunn and arranging for his charity to help a local family.
"I've never had that happen before," Yaeger said Tuesday as he watched the Pershalls get acquainted with their new home. "I've never had a company I've spoken to do that."
Dunn and Aaron's provided furniture, kitchen accessories, food and a $5,000 down payment check for Habitat.
Advisors Excel employees started volunteering their time Thursday, assembling and arranging the furniture so it would be ready when the Pershalls moved in.
Dawn Pershall said it was the end of a long journey for her and her children: Jose, 11; Sadie, 8; Nicolas, 6, and Alex, 5.
The journey began when their landlord died, throwing them into uncertainty as their home of four years went up for auction.
"My oldest son, he cried himself to sleep that night," Pershall said.
She told him to put it in God's hands and trust in his plan. Days later some friends associated with Habitat for Humanity contacted the organization, which told Pershall her family was perfect for the program.
She put in 200 "sweat equity" hours to qualify for the home, fitting them in around taking care of four children and working full-time for Midland Care Connection.
"I have a great family at Midland," Pershall said. "They've supported me through all this too."
There were no tears Tuesday for Jose, who busily went about setting rules for his new room, including "no jumping on the bed." Pershall said the kids had also decided on their own that there would be no shoes allowed on the new carpeting.
That kind of invested home ownership, Dunn said, was part of the purpose of his program.
"They're going to take care of it," Dunn said. "They're going to cherish it."
The Pershall children, while enthralled by their new television, were nearly as excited about the pantry stocked to the brim with things like canned fruits and vegetables and macaroni and cheese. They fidgeted through the kitchen signing ceremony, eager to explore every corner of the cozy, one-story home.
"We haven't checked all of the house," Jose said. "What about the shed?"
"I couldn't put a car in there, man," Dunn joked.
Nicolas toyed with the cloth napkin that sat carefully folded inside the ceramic cup at his place setting, until Dunn playfully chided him.
"I took a lot of time putting that in there, making it pretty," Dunn said.
The former NFL star then asked Sadie if she knew who he was.
"Mr. D.," she shyly replied.
"Yeah, I like it," Dunn said, nodding.
Pershall would later herd Alex out the door for a picture, urging him to take a break from the NERF gun he was firing at his siblings.
She said the homecoming represented a "new beginning" for her family, and a joyful anniversary to what had been a difficult time of year. Wednesday will mark five years to the day that Pershall's mother died following a battle with cancer.
"I'd given up three months of my life to help my mom in her illness and make her as comfortable as possible," Pershall said. "I know she's looking down on us and she's happy."
Former NFL star furnishes local Habitat home
Mother of four receives help from Warrick Dunn, local businesses
Posted: September 10, 2013 - 12:37pm
By Andy Marso
andy.marso@cjonline.com
After years of helping her mother, her four children and her home health aide patients, Dawn Pershall found herself in an unfamiliar situation Tuesday: accepting help from her community and a professional athlete.
Pershall fought back tears as she filled out a social media release form for former NFL running back Warrick Dunn, who stood beside her in the kitchen of her new home, built by Habitat for Humanity and furnished by Dunn's charity.
"I guess this is my address now?" Pershall asked. "So I guess I'm the homeowner? Oh my goodness."
Dunn, a shifty back known for his speed and elusiveness, played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons from 1997 to 2008.
His charity, in partnership with Aaron's Inc., has helped furnish more than 120 homes for single parents. It's a mission inspired by Dunn's mother, a police officer who was killed by armed robbers while off-duty and escorting a businesswoman to make a bank deposit.
"My mom worked day and night, tirelessly," said Dunn, who became his siblings' guardian at age 18.
Dunn's Homes for the Holidays program started in his hometown of Baton Rouge and has expanded to help families throughout the Southeast. Tuesday was its first foray into Kansas and it came courtesy of his biographer's connection to a local business.
Don Yaeger, a former Sports Illustrated editor, co-authored Dunn's 2009 autobiography, Running for My Life. Yaeger also does public speaking work for Advisors Excel, a Topeka-based insurance marketing firm, often incorporating Dunn's story.
Tuesday was Yaeger's third trip to Topeka and the Advisors Excel team decided to surprise him by reaching out to Dunn and arranging for his charity to help a local family.
"I've never had that happen before," Yaeger said Tuesday as he watched the Pershalls get acquainted with their new home. "I've never had a company I've spoken to do that."
Dunn and Aaron's provided furniture, kitchen accessories, food and a $5,000 down payment check for Habitat.
Advisors Excel employees started volunteering their time Thursday, assembling and arranging the furniture so it would be ready when the Pershalls moved in.
Dawn Pershall said it was the end of a long journey for her and her children: Jose, 11; Sadie, 8; Nicolas, 6, and Alex, 5.
The journey began when their landlord died, throwing them into uncertainty as their home of four years went up for auction.
"My oldest son, he cried himself to sleep that night," Pershall said.
She told him to put it in God's hands and trust in his plan. Days later some friends associated with Habitat for Humanity contacted the organization, which told Pershall her family was perfect for the program.
She put in 200 "sweat equity" hours to qualify for the home, fitting them in around taking care of four children and working full-time for Midland Care Connection.
"I have a great family at Midland," Pershall said. "They've supported me through all this too."
There were no tears Tuesday for Jose, who busily went about setting rules for his new room, including "no jumping on the bed." Pershall said the kids had also decided on their own that there would be no shoes allowed on the new carpeting.
That kind of invested home ownership, Dunn said, was part of the purpose of his program.
"They're going to take care of it," Dunn said. "They're going to cherish it."
The Pershall children, while enthralled by their new television, were nearly as excited about the pantry stocked to the brim with things like canned fruits and vegetables and macaroni and cheese. They fidgeted through the kitchen signing ceremony, eager to explore every corner of the cozy, one-story home.
"We haven't checked all of the house," Jose said. "What about the shed?"
"I couldn't put a car in there, man," Dunn joked.
Nicolas toyed with the cloth napkin that sat carefully folded inside the ceramic cup at his place setting, until Dunn playfully chided him.
"I took a lot of time putting that in there, making it pretty," Dunn said.
The former NFL star then asked Sadie if she knew who he was.
"Mr. D.," she shyly replied.
"Yeah, I like it," Dunn said, nodding.
Pershall would later herd Alex out the door for a picture, urging him to take a break from the NERF gun he was firing at his siblings.
She said the homecoming represented a "new beginning" for her family, and a joyful anniversary to what had been a difficult time of year. Wednesday will mark five years to the day that Pershall's mother died following a battle with cancer.
"I'd given up three months of my life to help my mom in her illness and make her as comfortable as possible," Pershall said. "I know she's looking down on us and she's happy."