Dear Friends, Family, and Kind Strangers,
Like many others, our family has been effected by the Eaton/Altadena fires. We could’ve never imagined ourselves in this disastrous situation, but life has a way of humbling us, showing us we’re not in complete control, and just how much we need one another. My sisters-Whitney, Morgan, and I are reaching out in these dire times as our parents have lost their home to this fire that has devastated our amazing city of Altadena/Pasadena. They are in the process of rebuilding their home.
Denise and Ron Wilson have been members of this close-knit community since moving to California from Missouri in 1979. Our mother has been a vigilant and positive presence in this community since they have arrived. She has been a volunteer at every school we have attended beginning with pre-school. Denise diligently worked years in the Healthcare Industry after working at Pasadena Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the early years. She was a volunteer at Jackie Robinson Park for Recreational Youth Development and John Muir High School where she was the President of the Booster Club. Denise was also a volunteer at her church where Whitney (not Houston) was a member of the choir. I played baseball and basketball. My sister Morgan also played basketball and played the violin for her school band. Whitney played tennis and played the flute for her school. Our mom participated in fundraising and extracurricular activities at all of our events.
As well as assisting in our different childhood activities, our father dedicated over 25 years of service as an LA County Sherriff, retiring in 2011. His love for the game of basketball has been a lifelong calling shared by Morgan and I, but also by Whitney. Although she didn’t play organized basketball, she may have been the best shooter out of us three. Before and since his retirement, dad serves as an Ambassador for youth basketball development in the city of Pasadena & Altadena. It began with us accompanying him to the gym for pickup games when we were barely old enough to hold a basketball, much less dribble one. We grew up in the gym. Our dad and one of his best friends, Uncle Pervis Polk (R.I.P), saw the benefits and potential of having young players play with better established players that have gone on to play collegiately and professionally. Over the past +30 years there has been countless young men and women that have been a part of Ron and Uncle Pervis’s vision, that has gone on to play collegiately and professionally in the NBA and overseas.
After years of hard work and achievements their lives have been uprooted and supplanted by devastation, unfortunately being left to start over completely. We are reaching out with humble hearts, asking for your support to help recuperate our lives as best as we can. Every bit helps more than words can express, we are deeply grateful for any support you can offer. Thank you to everyone and please be safe.
With all sincerity and love,
The Wilson Family