Teary-eyed mother who lost everything in a house fire shows up in Lancaster to say thanks to Cowboys LB DeMarcus Ware for his generosity 29 20
bgeorge@dallasnews.com
November 13, 2012
LANCASTER – With tears flowing down her face and her voice trembling Tuesday afternoon, JoAnn Trevino stood outside the Lancaster football field house asking to speak to Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware.
Trevino wasn’t a rabid football fan looking for an autograph or a photo opportunity. All she wanted to do was tell Ware thanks for what he had done for her family two months ago.
On Sept. 3 – Labor Day night – Trevino; her husband, Joe; daughter, Clara Coco; and 4-year-old autistic grandson, David Lopez, lost everything they owned when their rental home in Hutchins – a city just south of Dallas – was totally destroyed by a fire.
The family woke up about 2 a.m. with the home fully engulfed in flames but was able to escape. However, the family pet – a dog they’ve had for six years – died in the fire. Without any insurance coverage, it was a total loss.
Ware learned of the family’s situation through a friend who tweeted about the fire who was also a friend of the family’s.
Two days before the Cowboys season opener at the New York Giants, Ware immediately reached out to the family, buying five complete outfits (from a Reebok outlet in Allen) for each family member, blankets, towels, toiletries and even toys for Trevino’s grandson. Three days after the fire, one of Ware’s assistants delivered all the items to the family at a hotel in Cedar Hill.
“It was overwhelming, just overwhelming,” Trevino said of Ware’s generosity. “I have on pants right now that he bought me.
“He just saw a family in need and a need he was able to take care of. There was nothing in return. There were no news cameras out there. We’re just all lower-middle class, our whole family. Of course we’re going to share what we have, but there is not money to do stuff like that. And DeMarcus Ware doesn’t know who we are. There were no ulterior motives, nothing but out of the kindness of his heart that he did that for us.”
For two months now, Trevino said she’s been trying to figure out how to get in touch with Ware to say thanks. On Tuesday, she just happened to be in Lancaster on business when she heard that Ware was at the high school to encourage students to achieve their goals, visit with the football team that’s in the playoffs and be part of Duracell and Texas Instruments donating 35 TI-84 handheld calculators.
Trevino raced over to the high school – and finally – was able to express her appreciation to Ware.
Ware was touched that Trevino dropped by to say thanks.
“It’s just a great thing. It lets you know that it wasn’t short-lived and it was very important to them,” Ware said. “Sometimes in life you have opportunities to sort of spread your wealth and things aren’t as important to you but they can be very important to somebody else and that’s what is so good about the gift of giving. It’s not about what you have but the memories you can make with what you’ve got.”
bgeorge@dallasnews.com
November 13, 2012
LANCASTER – With tears flowing down her face and her voice trembling Tuesday afternoon, JoAnn Trevino stood outside the Lancaster football field house asking to speak to Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware.
Trevino wasn’t a rabid football fan looking for an autograph or a photo opportunity. All she wanted to do was tell Ware thanks for what he had done for her family two months ago.
On Sept. 3 – Labor Day night – Trevino; her husband, Joe; daughter, Clara Coco; and 4-year-old autistic grandson, David Lopez, lost everything they owned when their rental home in Hutchins – a city just south of Dallas – was totally destroyed by a fire.
The family woke up about 2 a.m. with the home fully engulfed in flames but was able to escape. However, the family pet – a dog they’ve had for six years – died in the fire. Without any insurance coverage, it was a total loss.
Ware learned of the family’s situation through a friend who tweeted about the fire who was also a friend of the family’s.
Two days before the Cowboys season opener at the New York Giants, Ware immediately reached out to the family, buying five complete outfits (from a Reebok outlet in Allen) for each family member, blankets, towels, toiletries and even toys for Trevino’s grandson. Three days after the fire, one of Ware’s assistants delivered all the items to the family at a hotel in Cedar Hill.
“It was overwhelming, just overwhelming,” Trevino said of Ware’s generosity. “I have on pants right now that he bought me.
“He just saw a family in need and a need he was able to take care of. There was nothing in return. There were no news cameras out there. We’re just all lower-middle class, our whole family. Of course we’re going to share what we have, but there is not money to do stuff like that. And DeMarcus Ware doesn’t know who we are. There were no ulterior motives, nothing but out of the kindness of his heart that he did that for us.”
For two months now, Trevino said she’s been trying to figure out how to get in touch with Ware to say thanks. On Tuesday, she just happened to be in Lancaster on business when she heard that Ware was at the high school to encourage students to achieve their goals, visit with the football team that’s in the playoffs and be part of Duracell and Texas Instruments donating 35 TI-84 handheld calculators.
Trevino raced over to the high school – and finally – was able to express her appreciation to Ware.
Ware was touched that Trevino dropped by to say thanks.
“It’s just a great thing. It lets you know that it wasn’t short-lived and it was very important to them,” Ware said. “Sometimes in life you have opportunities to sort of spread your wealth and things aren’t as important to you but they can be very important to somebody else and that’s what is so good about the gift of giving. It’s not about what you have but the memories you can make with what you’ve got.”
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