25 May 2010
Construction Begins on Handicap-Accessible Home for Paralyzed Student
DALLAS—For many fans of the Fox television series 24, May 24 marks the day Agent Jack Bauer exposed one last cover-up before disappearing for good. That's right, the man who saved the world countless times in eight 24-hour periods called it quits on the same day that a young high school student with a more meaningful connection to the number 24 celebrated the spirit of family and community.
Jared Williams, the L.G. Pinkston High School student who was paralyzed during a football game last fall, was all smiles on this historic day as friends, family, city leaders and well-wishers gathered to celebrate and break ground at the site where a new home in West Dallas will be built for his family.
Williams, a Pinkston Vikings defensive back who wore the number 24 on his jersey, was injured during a football game against North Dallas High School in October. The Pinkston community quickly rallied around him and created Project 24, Inc., a student-driven campaign to raise money to help build a handicap-accessible house to accommodate Williams' special needs.
Through Project 24, Inc., Pinkston students and the Dallas ISD Teen Board asked their fellow students districtwide to donate 24 cents to make the house a reality. The spirit of the campaign spread throughout the district and beyond as students and staff joined to raise more than $20,000 dollars. The Pinkston family and West Dallas community raised more than $30,000, and Builders of Hope of West Dallas donated $40,000 in materials and labor. To date, more than $100,000 has been raised with donations coming from as far away as California and New York.
During the groundbreaking ceremony, Pinkston students unveiled the blueprints of the 2,176 square foot home, and though the house warming is several months away, project planners say the 24th day of whichever month sounds like a plan.
"The Dallas Independent School District and the students it serves have made substantial strides over the last several years. Its academic gains have been some of the most impressive in the country, and the district is now viewed as one of the nation's fastest improving urban school systems."