Over $500,000 Donated For American Samoa Goodwill Mission

[Webmaster]

June 23, 2010

Honolulu (SMU) - The June Jones Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Honolulu, today announced final details of The Third-Annual American Samoa Goodwill Mission, which will be held in Pago Pago, American Samoa June 24-27, 2010.

This year, over $450,000 in medical supplies and services and $50,000 in Athletic Equipment will be donated as part of the Mission. Other activities include a Youth Golf Clinic, presented by Disney Big Break stars, professional golf phenoms Tony and Gipper Finau (both of Samoan descent); and a Football Officiating Clinic led by former NFL Referee Gerald Austin.

The Mission delegation will be once again led by SMU Head Football Coach June Jones and several past and present NFL players of Samoan descent, including San Francisco 49ers great Jesse Sapolu (four-time Super Bowl Champion) former Denver Broncos Defensive End Ma'a Tanuvasa (two-time Super Bowl Champion), Mel Purcell and Nate Ilaoa.

The Medical Mission has been organized by Pediatric Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit at the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital (Stanford) Clinical Inpatient Manager Ellie Taft-Reinebold. Her team includes nine health care professionals including certified doctors and nurses representing more than 90 years experience in emergency medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics and more than 40 years of expert training.

Some of this year's donated supplies include Exam Tables, Infant Cribs, a complete Children's Playroom, over 1,000 books, and 150 DVDs. Since the Mission's inception, over $1,100,000 in medical supplies and services have been donated.

"It has been a challenging year for the great people of American Samoa due to the Tsunami. We are hopeful that the Mission, which will focus on education, athletics, and health will be an uplifting experience," said June Jones, Chairman of the June Jones Foundation. "My Aloha and Kokua for the Samoan people and all of Polynesia is something that will always be with me."

"We are deeply honored to welcome back Coach Jones and our sons to American Samoa. This is a great opportunity for our young people, our families and our government," said Togiola Tulafono, Governor of American Samoa. "We extend a big fa'afetai tele to Coach June Jones."

In addition to the Medical Mission, Golf and Officiating Clinics, the Mission delegation will tour three villages (among those which were hardest hit by the Tsunami) to speak to the students about the importance of education, a question and answers session moderated by Jesse Sapolu and an opportunity for autographs.

The June Jones Foundation, in conjunction with Blue Sky Communications, will also award $10,000 in college scholarships to five recent high school graduates ($2,000 per recipient) who are attending college in the United States this coming fall. The June Jones Foundation has provided $30,000 in scholarships to 15 deserving American Samoan students in since the Mission began.

The Third Annual American Samoa Goodwill Mission was made possible by the generous support of many individuals and companies, including Paul & Penny Loyd, who serve as our Mission Ambassadors, Hawaiian Airlines, Adidas, Blue Sky Communications, GHC Reid & Company, Tradewinds Hotel and the Samoa Bowl Committee.

The June Jones Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, tax-exempt foundation dedicated to improving the quality of life for needy families of children with life-threatening illnesses as well as other charitable causes. The emotional, physical, and spiritual impact a seriously ill child has on a family cannot be measured. The June Jones Foundation is dedicated to lifting their spirits by providing grants, programming and support.