MORE PICTURES FROM RYBA

Nolan Woodward is wearing a wrist band that he made himself while Drew is pondering how GA was going to do against Alabama.
Logan Conner.

Drew and Nicholas after the Cardinals were defeated in a 7/8 game.

Nolan Woodward at first.

Brandon Lawrence wears JB.

PICTURES FROM MEMORIAL SERVICE

Ezell's Studio's (http://www.ezellsstudios.com/) were at Jeff's memorial and gave Tina a disk of over 300 pictures of the service. I picked out a couple to post and will post more throughout next week.

Tina, Matt, Megan and Drew are heading out of town for Fall Break. It was a last minute thing that Tina threw together. She will be accompanied by her mother, but is making stops along the way to visit other family.

I find Megan to be the most adorable little girl in the whole world (Harley & Samantha, I love both of you as well). Saturday night, Megan was at the Whistle Post Tavern with Tina for Jessica Boh's surprise 30th birthday party. The party was going on at the same time as the Georgia/Alabama game. Megan got on stage, with her partner in crime- Hannah, and performed her football cheers during the game. We cheered for them as much as UGA (in the first q). She also let me know that I was not being a good girl because I had a beer. Ooops! I got the 'shame on you' eye from her, but she quickly forgave me when we discussed having a 'girls' night at her house.

RYBA APPROVES - GOOD JOB CHUCK

RYBA has approved either field 12 being named after Jeff or some other acknowledgement at RYBY in Jeff's name. It seems more likely that field 12 would be named after Jeff, but there are more formal details that need to be ironed out. This is not something that will be finalized this Fall, but Chuck said that he is certain by Opening Day next Spring, the memory of Jeff will be a fixture at RYBA.

Thanks to everyone for supporting this proposal!

WEDNESDAY 10/1/08 UPDATE

RYBA: Keep posting the comments! Chuck will be pitching his proposal to the board this evening and the more support he has from the community, the better. Thank you!

FROM MELANIE MAHONEY: Hi Everyone. I just want to say thank you for all your support thus far in this endeavor I have taken on. So far, we have raised $301 (this only includes donations that have been sent to me and then sent to the benefit fund for Jeff). I wanted to let you all know how much I appreciate your continued support for Jeff and his family. I also wanted to let you know that it is my intention to continue running with purpose. My first race is Oct. 19th here in Louisville. Jeff's family needs all the support they can get right now. It may take me ten years to reach my goal, but I will not stop until I do. Thank you again. Please keep Jeff's wife, Tina, and his children, Drew, Meghan, and Matthew in your hearts and prayers through this difficult time of grieving. ** Melanie and Jeff worked together. She organized her own fundraiser and is soliciting donations from family and friends in Louisville as she runs races in Jeff's memory**

FROM DEBBIE STEWART: I wanted to let everyone know that it has been agreed that the 2009 Relay for Life will be dedicated to Coach Jeff Blount. The event will be held 5/1/08 - 5/2/08 at the GA International Horse Park. I will send you more details as we get them.

FROM BRANDI: Check back tomorrow. I have some more pictures from this past weekend at RYBA including a couple of great ones of Drew.

UPDATE: 9/30/08 RYBA FIELD NAMING UPDATE

Chuck Slate is will be addressing the RYBA board on Wednesday to make a formal request that field 12 be named in Jeff's honor. Field 12 is where Jeff won is championship game and the last game of the season. His team were the ones to tell Jeff not to fear and from that DNF was coined.

For those of you who support what Chuck is trying to do, please place a comment of support on this post. I talked to Chuck on Saturday and told him that a lot of us won't be able to make it Wednesday, but would like for him to be able to have our comments to show the support that is behind this request. Include your name and email address, please. He will be printing the comments out and taking them with him on Wednesday.

UPDATE: This is looking good, but I need more comments from those who support this proposal! Thanks for the comments that have already been posted. I have other news to post this week, but want this at the forefront right now!

DO NOT FEAR POEM BY KENT MILLER

"Do not fear" for me my wife, because I am not alone.

I've gone to be with the lord, at a place I now call home.

"Do not fear" for me my sister, my pain is gone at last.

God took me up to heaven and put it in the past.

"Do not fear" for me my mother and father, to you both I will always be bound.

Just know that it is God's love that keeps me safe and sound.

"Do not fear" for me my children, because I can't be there to watch you go through life.

Just know that I was there the day you took your husband and wife.

"Do not fear" for me my loved ones, because we are apart.

If you want to have me near you, all just look inside your heart.

by Kent Miller

Tina loves this poem and asked that I post it again for everyone to read.

UPDATE THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 25, 2008

Chuck Slate, a RYBA umpire, has been around Legion Field long enough to know what a great asset Jeff was to the youth baseball program. It's kind of funny because even when Jeff wasn't playing or practicing, he was scouting- little league! Chuck is interested in assembling a couple of people who would be interested in helping him pursue having a field at Legion named after Jeff. I would love nothing more than to walk by a field bearing Jeff's name and be reminded of what baseball is about! Chuck needs support from parents & other coaches before moving forward. Please contact him at CCAFAM@AOL.COM 404 641-7855 if you can help him on this.

Memorial Video: I purposely put the video's on motionbox because once all the video's are loaded, those who wanted to order a dvd of the service - can. Please wait until I give the okay - I have to reload the 2nd video to hopefully fix the audio issue and then you can order away.

Salem Football plays at Salem on Friday night at 7:30pm vs. Madison. I am certain Tina and the kids will be there supporting the Seminoles. Look for her in the stands if you are there.

THE UNOFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT... JBMF

It's not official, yet, but hopefully in the near future, I will be able to announce the formal organization of the Jeff Blount Memorial Foundation. Dean Hayes organized a meeting this evening and pitched this idea to a dozen friends, family and co-workers/coaches. As Tina held Jeff's wedding band that dangles from her necklace, she gave Dean her blessing!

As the details become available, they will be posted. There are three events in 2009 that are close to being finalized. There will be a golf tournament in April, youth baseball camp in June and a motorcycle ride in later summer, early fall.

If you subscribe to the posts on this blog, updates will come up on your home page. (look to the right of this post- subscribe)

Links to the video's of the memorial service in the right hand column. There are 7 video's- all should be completely loaded by tomorrow.

RECAP

The long overdue picture of DNF at SeaWorld Orland Sept 2008!

Return the Blessing- this is being sponsored by Tina & Jeff's Sunday School Class. Donate $5 and a story to be included in a book that will be published for the kids. http://jeffblount.blogspot.com/2008/09/return-blessing.html

Wachovia wants to know WHO WOULD YOU THANK? The receipt gets $10,000.00. Your entry has to be 250 words or less- easy to do. Maybe if we passed the word around enough people could send in essays that show how Jeff inspired a whole community.

http://www.wachovia.com/misc/0,,1617,00.html

If anyone has anything they would like for me to post, a story about Jeff, pictures, etc... please email me at brandiwatson@yahoo.com.

I do have a small secret- there is some momentum in the background right now and some ideas for how to keep Jeff's spirit alive in this community. The individuals who are driving this are ones that make things happen. I think I was told not to say anything, but who really reads this blog anyway?! Perhaps, I will know more soon!

DNF AND JB AT RYBA SATURDAY 9/20/08

The 7/8 Diamond Backs honor Jeff with JB on the sleeve of their shirt. Drew was present for the game against the Cardinals. Drew did not have a JB on his shirt, so he borrowed a JB wrist band that was made by Nolan Woodward for this picture.

Cherie, Mike and Timmy before a game. Both Cherie and her sister were wearing their DNF shirts.

Woody, Nolan and a Salem HS student. I plucked him out of the stands for this picture.

Sam Allen's 5/6 Red Soxs are wearing JB. Pictured above is Landon Connor.

A MESSAGE FROM TINA

Dear friends & family-

Words cannot express how much Jeff, the kids & I appreciate the outpouring of love, prayers, and acts of kindness given to us over the last 5 months. Jeff & I often talked about how incredible this whole community has been & how we could be so fortunate to have such support.

The blogs, the benefits, the suppers, the cards & gifts, the visits and calls, and prayers have been such blessings during this difficult time. Jeff was deeply touched & overwhelmed by the demonstrations of love; those 5 months he truly realized how much he was loved and the positive impact he had on those around him.

Jeff loved life to the fullest. Please use his life as an example to embrace your passions, your friends, and those you love as he did. Know that he was grateful that each of you were part of his life.

Please continue to pray for our family. We can feel the strength of the prayers and need that comfort now more than ever. Our family sincerely believes that Jeff is in a better place & that God is watching over each of us.

Jeff was a great man & loved the people in his life. I wish “thank you” could convey the depth of the sentiments I feel. As Drew would say, here’s an air hug to each of you reading this. Thank you for everything. You have touched our hearts and lives forever.

Love,
Tina, Matt, Drew & Megan

YOUTH BASEBALL TEAMS HONOR JEFF

Tony Wilson and the 10U Rhino's have a moment of silence for Jeff on Sunday Sept 14.

A 5/6 RYBA coach has come up with an idea that is gaining momentum around Legion Field. Some of the teams will be playing with the initials JB on their uniforms in honor of Jeff.

WHO WOULD YOU THANK? - FROM BRONWYN JENNINGS

I've received an email from Wachovia that is promoting a contest to thank someone special who is making a difference in someone's life. That nominee could be rewarded up to $10,000. What a difference it would make for Jeff's family. I sent my essay in and I am encouraging Dylan to send one also. Maybe if we passed the word around enough people could send in essays that show how Jeff inspired a whole community.

http://www.wachovia.com/misc/0,,1617,00.html

COACH JEFF, NICHOLAS AND THE WORD 'CRAP'

Cody Lewis and Jeff Blount at the Whistle Post Tavern St. Patrick's Day 2008

I forgot about this story until this past weekend. Again, Nicholas was 4 years old when he played for Jeff. I am very liberal when it comes to Nicholas spreading his wings, but extremely conservative about his vocabulary.

He consistently hit up the middle or to the right side of the field. There are a couple of coaches who have been on the receiving end of one of his line drives up the middle, including myself. So, when he hit one back at Jeff, Jeff's response was 'Nicholas, that scared the crap out of me.'. My 4 year old thought this was the greatest thing he had ever heard- Coach Jeff said crap!

From that day forward, anytime Nicholas could use the word 'crap' in the context of scaring it out of Jeff, he would. He knew I didn't like it, but insisted it was acceptable because that is what Coach Jeff said. I am now learning that the word 'crap' is the least of my worries!

SIGNS FROM HEAVEN

Jeff is letting Tina know he's there. I was a total skeptic about signs from heaven, but my father changed all of that after he passed in October 2006. Nicholas was only 5 years old, but the bond between the two was undeniable. My dad was my 'right hand man' and he and Nicholas were 'best buddies'. That is what they called themselves.

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After he passed, I told Nicholas that we could send Gumps messages by writing them on little pieces of paper, putting them in helium balloons and sending them up to heaven. The very first time we did this, there was not a star in the sky and as I looked up and we released the balloons, I saw a shooting star. This is the only shooting star I've ever seen my entire life. I knew immediately that was my dad.

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For Tina, it's been the rain drops Friday and Saturday despite blue skies. I was with her on Saturday when this happened and someone said 'those are Jeff's tear's', but Tracy quickly corrected and said 'those aren't tears, Jeff's sweating on us!'. Yesterday, it was the 2008 brand new, shinny penny that Tina found in the middle of a parking lot - faced heads up. She said that before Jeff passed, she told him that he needed to stay close and now she feels like he's trying to let her know that he heard her and is doing just that.

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The kids went back to school on Monday. While everything else is getting worked out, this is at least one thing Tina can count on to keep things consistent and structured. I would like to give her another week or two before we start up Blount Dinner Drive again. The structure may be a little different than before where, for those who want to participate, we can bring our dinner over, but also stay for dinner. This will probably be limited this to once, maybe twice a week. If you're interested, email me at brandiwatson@yahoo.com. If I already have you on my list, I am going to leave you there unless you tell me otherwise. (Danny Quach, you need to be on this list)

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Still working on getting footage from the memorial posted online. I have to say Mike Pheil was the big surprise. He had me worried when he opened by stating that he wasn't as polished a speaker as the one's previous. Perhaps he didn't know what he was capable of, but he took over the entire stage and worked it like a veteran. The stories are so funny. I could have sat and listened to stories about Jeff all day.

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Kent Miller: Can we get some of the JB Football Video online too? brandiwatson@yahoo.com