Clare Farnsworth, Seattle Seahawks
William Beale had no idea what was about to happen Tuesday.
His mother had kept it a secret, because she knew what kind of reaction her 11-year-old son would have if the sixth-grader at Madrona Elementary knew that Seahawks safety Jordan Babineaux would be in the school’s library giving Thanksgiving turkeys to 10 families.
“A lot of people just don’t realize that the small gestures go along way," says Jordan Babineaux.
All William was told is that he and his mother were going to school for his parent-teacher conference.
“I was very shocked when I saw him come in,” Beale said, the brightness of his smile a stark contrast to the gloomy weather outside.
“It was amazing. I was so happy, because he’s one of my favorite players – him and Matt Hasselbeck. That’s all I can say, it was great.”
Yes it was, for Babineaux as well as the kids and their families.
The Babineaux Family Foundation donated the turkeys. The employees of Hyatt Hotels chipped in large baskets filled the other ingredients needed for a full Thanksgiving Day meal. Communities In Schools brought all the parties together.
“It was kind of my idea – somewhat, I don’t want to take all the credit,” Babineaux said with a sheepish grin. “But I did want to do it. It was definitely a no-brainer.”
The little Babineaux did certainly means a great deal to the families at Madrona Elementary. In addition to the smiles on the faces of William Beale and his school mates, one of the mothers broke down and cried as she started to pickup her basket and turkey.
“A lot of people just don’t realize that the small gestures go along way,” he said.
Babineaux wants this to be just the first step toward helping the less fortunate at the next holiday.
“I kind of want to use today as a bridge to the Christmas holiday,” he said. “Because I’ll be doing something for Christmas, as well – a toy drive or a holiday shopping spree for kids and families who need it.”
