Jerry Mathers

“Jerry was fantastic! Not only was his presentation “on the money,” but his humbleness and willingness to talk with anyone who wanted to approach him made him a hero in our community. We are “home-folk” here in DeFuniak Springs and not used to famous people visiting our small town. When excited rural folks approach a celebrity like Jerry Mathers, they don’t always know what to expect. At best, they may hope for a hand shake and a photo. Jerry went beyond all that. He struck a conversation with just about anyone. One man with developmental disabilities stared at Jerry for almost an hour in the back of a crowd at the tree planting ceremony. Someone pointed him out to me following Jerry’s planting of a tree stating “He’s been looking at Jerry all this time. I know he probably would appreciate meeting Jerry if that’s possible.” I approached the man and asked if he would like to meet Jerry, and he responded, “Oh, may I!?” The man was thoughtful, gentle and was courteous to others who also wanted to share a moment with “The Beave.” The next day, a leader at the center where the man is a client said, “We’ve been working on him for years to crack a smile. For the first time ever, he smiled, and he smiled all day! That moment changed his life.””