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
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
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.”
Thanksgiving was always a special holiday for Babineaux and his brother – Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux – growing up in Port Arthur, Texas.
“I always looked forward to Thanksgiving,” Jordan said. “That’s a time when you spend the most with your out-of-town cousins and you get to tell stories.
“You eat, you take a nap and then you eat again. Food definitely wasn’t an issue, because someone always had a different dish. It was just a great time.”
Having enough to eat on Thanksgiving was an issue for the families Babineaux helped Tuesday. That’s why he decided to step in and lend a helping hand – or turkey.
After his stop at Madrona, Babineaux also visited Aki Kurose Middle School and the Rainier Beach Boys and Girls Club.
“I always said if I was ever in a position to do something, I’d do it,” Babineaux said. “It’s just kind of the way I was raised and the things mom instilled in us as kids – you know, to always help others.
“It’s been rewarding. It’s soothing for me to know that I can put a smile on someone else’s face just by doing so little.”
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.”
Just don’t tell William Beale.
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.
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.”
Thanksgiving was always a special holiday for Babineaux and his brother – Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux – growing up in Port Arthur, Texas.
“I always looked forward to Thanksgiving,” Jordan said. “That’s a time when you spend the most with your out-of-town cousins and you get to tell stories.
“You eat, you take a nap and then you eat again. Food definitely wasn’t an issue, because someone always had a different dish. It was just a great time.”
Having enough to eat on Thanksgiving was an issue for the families Babineaux helped Tuesday. That’s why he decided to step in and lend a helping hand – or turkey.
After his stop at Madrona, Babineaux also visited Aki Kurose Middle School and the Rainier Beach Boys and Girls Club.
“I always said if I was ever in a position to do something, I’d do it,” Babineaux said. “It’s just kind of the way I was raised and the things mom instilled in us as kids – you know, to always help others.
“It’s been rewarding. It’s soothing for me to know that I can put a smile on someone else’s face just by doing so little.”
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.”
Just don’t tell William Beale.
