Jeremy’s Fund

A while back, I sang the praises of my crew mates and how we all stick together. I talked about how they are my friends and how much I care for each and every one of them. And now one of them is in need and it would be hypocritical of me to not speak on behalf of him and his family.

On December 30th, Jeremy Schultz was with his family when a gas canister exploded, throwing him into his house and into the Christmas tree. Jeremy was severely burned and his family’s home burned to the ground. It’s a horrific story that almost sounds unbelievable at first…until you realize that it happened to someone you have worked with and then it’s just simply unfathomable.

I don’t know Jeremy very well. Actually…I don’t know him at all. I know he’s been on crews that I have worked on and I know him well enough that I could pick him out in a crowd. But when I heard about the terrible accident that consumed he and his family, I wasn’t sure if I knew who he was. Until I saw his picture. And then I knew.

In this crazy business of ours, the sports television industry can eat you up and spit you out. Some do well and others fall by the side, unable to handle the pressures and the consequences of working the hours we do. From what I know about Jeremy, he is a good-natured spirit who is very talented. He is known throughout the tv sports industry as a hard worker and it was obvious to anyone who knows him that he loves what he does. Now he’s in critical condition with burns to over 90% of his body and I feel as though I have known him for years. In this, his greatest time of need, I know that Jeremy is one of my workmates. He is a man who understands what I do. He is a man driven to be the best that he can be and has succeeded on his own level. For these reasons and many others, I ask for my friends and family to support him in this time of need. Below is the address to send any donations to benefit he and his family. HERE is an article with a little more detail into the happenings on that fateful day and how you can help. If ever there were a man deserving of our help, Jeremy is it.

I will be thinking of Jeremy this basketball season and I hope he has a successful recovery. I feel sorry for his family. They have lost all of their possessions and are now left to worry about the safety of their father and partner. No one deserves the kind of pain Jeremy has had or is going through and I hope that our prayers and donations further his rehabilitation and help his family stay on their feet.

God bless you, Jeremy Shultz, and your family.

If you’d like to donate, please send a check made out to “Jeremy’s Fund” to the following address….

Bryant Bank
ATTN: Heike Harris for Jeremy’s Fund
1550 McFarland Blvd North
Tuscaloosa, AL 35406

On behalf of Jeremy and his family…thank you.

ADDITIONAL NOTE: On Friday, January 28, 2011, Jeremy died due to the second & third degree burns suffered during that explosion. He will be greatly missed. He is survived by his companion, Maryann; their 4-year-old son, Dallas; and Maryann’s 11-year-old daughter, Cinnamin. All tax-deductible donations will go towards helping his family deal with this crisis. For more information, go here…