The NFL and the rest of the country stood still on September 11, 2001, after the terrorist attacks in the United States. Football would return the following weekend, and life began to normalize over time, but no one will ever forget the tragic day and everyone it affected.
Ed Easton Jr. spoke to Seattle Seahawks legend Jermaine Kearse and Jillian Crane, President and CEO of The First Responders Children’s Foundation, before the inaugural Golf Classic Fundraiser to honor local first responders in commemoration of the 23rd anniversary of 9/11.
“I was 11 years old, so I was probably in elementary school or middle school,” Kearse explained of his experience on 9/11. “I grew up in a military family, and so I just remember I was living on JBLM (McChord Air Force Base) out in Washington, and I just remember just how chaotic everything was, and not necessarily knowing what’s going on and having to get it explained to me.
“I was a very young age, but it was just a tragic day for our country, something none of us will forget. I remember living on base, and everything was shut down, so it was pretty chaotic. Being as young as I was, just trying to figure out what was going on, then having it explained, and seeing the impact it had everywhere in the country.”
The First Responders Children’s Foundation was established as part of the country’s rebuilding efforts following the attacks.
“The First Responders Children’s Foundation started 23 years ago,” Crane said. “So we started after really as a response to the attacks on 9/11 in the World Trade Center, 800 children lost a first responder parent, and our founder Al Kahn was in the kid’s toy and licensing business, whose father was young, thought, what’s going to take care of them? We look at it as if one family member serves as a first responder. The whole family serves, so our programs are here for those families.”
Kearse was participating in the Golf Classic Fundraiser and described his competitive energy, especially when it was displayed during his memorable Super Bowl XLIX catch against the New England Patriots.
“It was a really competitive play in one of the biggest moments, one of the year’s biggest games,” Kearse said. “You always try to go out there and compete, position everything. And so every chance we get out there, if we’re competing, it’s going to be no different. Today out there, I’m coming out to compete in this golf tournament. And so it’s built in my DNA to compete and fight for everything. And that’s kind of just what that scenario was, just fighting for the ball to make a play.”
Additional information about FRCF can be found at 1stRCF.org and on Facebook, X, and Instagram @1strcf.