In memory of a special young fan807 viewsConnor Williams, age 11, who passed away December 30, 2012.
The photo above is part of the tribute to Connor at his school.
Poem, written by his father:
A Father's Pride
By Patrick Williams
You were a source of great pride-
A beautiful little boy- both out and inside.
Compassionate & witty, with intelligence to burn.
Coming home and talking with you is something for which I yearn.
For those conversations with you and your nimble mind
Were something that I found extremely divine.
You could morph from being a little kid at play
To talking about the serious issues of the day.
Your gregarious nature and wit made you a perfect cohost
And your presence at parties is among things I will miss most.
Singing, laughing and running the margarita machine,
While talking to folks, exhibiting a brightness so keen.
I was proud when I watched you win the spelling bee,
Spelling "perseverance" quite easily.
I was prouder still by how you treated your opponent.
You ignored the accolades and became his greatest proponent.
For young Jacob looked sad and dejected
And you made sure his feelings were not neglected.
Some victors' tendencies are to taunt and mock,
But, instead, you went to your foe and gave a pep talk.
You indicated that he should not be ashamed
As Mrs. Hall indicated that you both deserved acclaim.
You told him it had been the longest spell off in the history of East School
And that he should be proud and not feel like a fool.
I came home that night and said I was proud of you
For winning the bee but for how you treated Jacob, too.
And you looked at me as if I had grown two heads,
Like doing any different would fill you with dread.
You told me Jacob was your good friend,
And you felt conflicted when the bee came to an end.
For your friend looked dejected and sad,
So you talked to him because you didn't want him to feel bad.
And you got elected to student council last year,
Even though, when you ran, you told me your fears.
You were frightened that you might not get elected,
So I was afraid I would come home to find you dejected.
But I came home to find you happy as a lark,
So happy to succeed that you glowed with an inner spark.
Unlike most ten year olds, you actually had a platform,
But I came to find your real motive was the free popcorn.
And, as always, you got straight "A's"-
That brilliant mind never ceased to amaze.
You helped your sister and looked out for her, the best that you could-
You were a great big brother, that is well understood.
And, this year, you started at Welty Middle School.
You quickly adapted, being nobody's fool.
And, even though you were the youngest in your class,
You stood up to a bully- tactfully letting him know he was a jackass.
He called you nerd and other such names,
And you ignored him, as his efforts were lame,
But, finally, you decided that you'd had enough,
And you weren't going to put up with any more of his guff.
So you looked up at this man-child-three years older and a half foot taller than you,
And you stared up at him with those beautiful baby blues.
You told him that you, indeed, might be a nerd
But that he might want to be seen and not heard.
For, one day, he would be shoveling poop from the sewers you designed,
And, therefore, he might want to be a little more kind.
And, oh, to watch as a fly on the wall,
And see the man-child stammer at the thought of it all.
And, Connor, there are so many other stories
That show your wit, compassion & brilliance- a glimpse of future glory,
But, unfortunately, your life was cut far too short,
And there will be no more stories to report.
And I put your sister to bed each night,
Knowing that things will never again be quite right.
And I think of you and my heart fills with pride,
Then often I cry, as I am wounded inside.
But I always will be proud of the boy you had become-
A brilliant little boy who was compassionate & fun.
And I will forever miss your company,
Until, one day, on the other side, we can again be family.
You can read Connor's story, as told by his father, Patrick, here:
http://bigben7.com/in-memory-of-a-young-fan/
Feb 27, 2013
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February 23, 2013 - Chris Tomlin "Burning Lights Tour" Concert1136 viewsJustin Bendik and his sister, Emily, met Ben at the concert held at Consol Energy Center.
"I am a HUGE fan and both the concert & meeting Ben were amazing experiences!" -- Emily
*Thank you Emily and Justin!Feb 24, 2013
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February 23, 2013 - Chris Tomlin "Burning Lights Tour" Concert854 viewsBrianna Thomas and her father, Dale, pose with Ben at the concert at Consol Energy Center.
"It was great seeing Big Ben and his family at the Chris Tomlin concert worshiping God!" -- Brianna
*Thank you to the Thomas Family!Feb 24, 2013
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February 23, 2013 - Chris Tomlin "Burning Lights Tour" Concert4814 views"Chris, you’re the man!" -– Ben, with a photo taken from their vantage point at the Energy Center.Feb 24, 2013
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February 23, 2013 - Chris Tomlin "Burning Lights Tour" Concert3964 views"Giant beach balls released into the crowd for the finale." -– Ben
*Click on any photo to see a larger version!Feb 24, 2013
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Febuary 21, 2013 - Millersville PD's TOP DOG!1809 views“I would just like to keep everyone informed about Pito. Pito is the K9 dog that was given to us by The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation. Since Pito has been on the street, he has made nine ‘small’ hits on drugs and one very large one on Tuesday night. Pito has only been on the streets for about two months since training. As the Chief of Police, I can’t thank The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation enough for all they have done for us. Please thank Mr. Roethlisberger for us, and for helping those who help others.†- Chief Ronnie Williams, Millersville Police Department, in an email to the website.
“It’s been a great experience working with him.†– Officer Hurst, about his new partner.
That one “very large†hit that Chief Williams referenced in his email was the subject of a story from the WKRN-Channel 2 News in Nashville on February 21, 2013:
The K9 donated by football star Ben Roethlisberger’s foundation last year is now trained and on the streets, helping the Millersville Police Department sniff out crime.
Pito, the 2-year-old German Shepherd, helped officer George Hurst with what seemed like a normal traffic stop on Interstate 65 Tuesday night.
Hurst pulled over a rental car that had no rear lights and discovered the driver had no license.
Pito sniffed around the car and alerted on something at the driver’s door.
The driver then admitted to having marijuana in possession.
When Hurst led Pito around the rest of the car, he alerted once again at the trunk.
Officer Hurst then discovered $30,500 in cash hidden under a tire.
Police believe the cash was a part of a drug deal that was either about to go down or had just been completed, but the driver and passenger of the rental vehicle said they did not know where it came from.
Since it was not claimed, the cash was confiscated and will now go into the Millersville drug fund to help buy new equipment.
Feb 22, 2013
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February 18, 2013 - Thumbs up from Ben5616 viewsFor Irish Pro Golfer and friend Mark Murphy, who sent Ben his "Big Break Ireland" bag after the two met in June, 2012 while playing in Rocco Mediate's charity golf tournament.
You can see a photo of Ben and Mark from the tourney here:
http://bigben7.com/photos/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=-84&pos=22Feb 18, 2013
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February, 20139168 viewsRemote control? Check!
Binky? Check!
Golf Channel? Check!
"Watching a little golf on TV with my dad!" -- Benjamin, Jr.Feb 18, 2013
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February, 20138561 views"Taking over grandpa's chair all by myself!! Now where's the remote control and my binky?" -- Benjamin, Jr.Feb 18, 2013
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February, 20138257 views"Can I be any cuter if I tried?" -- Benjamin, Jr.Feb 18, 2013
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February, 20138201 viewsPracticing for my debut on American Idol some day:
"I'm too sexy for my shirt...too sexy for my shirt!!!" -- Benjamin, Jr.Feb 18, 2013
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February, 2013 - Benjamin, Jr.8189 views"Remote control? Check!
Binky? Check!
Golf Channel? Check!
Watching a little golf on TV with my dad!"
Feb 15, 2013
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