Post by TheShadow on Dec 3, 2006 10:21:35 GMT -5
www.aberdeennews.com/
By Ryan Deal
American News Sports Writer
What a story.
Recently, I wrote a column about my uncle Robby Tom Lawrence. He was battling cancer, and passed away on Nov. 22.
Uncle Robby was an Oakland Raiders' fan. So for my Uncle Robby, I decided to pick the Oakland Raiders for the remainder of the season in the weekly American News feature Fearless Forecasters. Every Thursday, my teammates here at the paper and Aberdeen coaches pick who we think will win the NFL games.
When the column originally ran, I received a number of e-mails from people who wanted to comment about the column. Some were from people who I knew, and others from people I didn't know.
One of those e-mails was from a woman named Amy Trask.She asked me to contact her.
I called the number. It was the Oakland Raiders' organization.
I was shocked, to say the least.
I was directed to Trask's extension. She told me that she wanted to send my Uncle Robby an Oakland Raiders' care package.
Wow.
Trask is the chief executive for the Oakland Raiders. She is an attorney who has been with the Raiders for 18 years and has been labeled as the "point person" for Raiders' owner Al Davis.
Wow.
Trask's husband, Rob, grew up in Rapid City. Rob attended the University of South Dakota. Amy told me in another e-mail that she considers herself an honorary South Dakotan. When the Trasks visit South Dakota, they spend time in places like the Black Hills and in Hill City.
The package Trask sent one day from Los Angeles was sitting on my desk the next day. Air mail.
Wow.
The package included a cap, shirts, books, Raiders' memorabilia and an autograph from Oakland Raider Hall of Fame defensive back Willie Brown. He sent wishes to my Uncle Robby, hoping that he would get better.
After I got off the phone with Trask, I immediately let my relatives - and anyone else who would listen to me - know what the Raiders were going to do. My cousin, Clay Lawrence - one of Uncle Robby's sons, called me to find out what was going on with the Raiders.
Poor Clay bit on this one.
Me: "Well, I just got off the phone with Al Davis."
Clay: "You did!"
Me: "No, just kidding."
Hook, line, and sinker. And I can't fish.
At Uncle Robby's funeral, several of my relatives were wearing Raider apparel. I know I started the whole Raiders' thing, but I did not get the memo that we were going with the Raiders' theme. However, it was cool to see my family showing support during a difficult time.
I read my column at the funeral. It felt great to honor my Uncle Robby in that way.
The only word that can describe this whole experience is surreal. For the Oakland Raiders to do what they did was awesome. In her follow-up e-mail, Trask wrote, "We are saddened by the loss of a member of the Raider Nation. I would have liked to meet Uncle Robby ... I'll think of Uncle Robby at our next game."
This experience is something that I and the rest of my family will never forget. It is safe to say that the Oakland Raiders are now officially part of the Lawrence family.