On Labor Day weekend, Sunday, September 3, a 40-year dream came true for one Dunedin resident, when Tom Cooney performed our National Anthem in sign language against a grey and drizzly sky at Boston's historic Fenway Park.
The 71-year-old acted like a festy schoolboy when his arms attacked the air as he spoke with his hands, his face, even his stance, because he is profoundly deaf. Tom is no stranger to the spotlight; he has been signing the National Anthem for more than 45 years now, in various sporting arenas and high schools all over the eastern part of the country.
One of the toughest Anthems he delivered was the one in 2003. Tom Cooney flew from Clearwater to Detroit, Michigan. He was granted permission by the Detroit Pistons to sign at their home game against Cleveland. When Cooney arrived at the arena, snow was gently falling to earth and he slipped and slid his way in through the press entrance, along with medical attachments; one day previously he had been flat on his back at Henry Ford Hospital. He was undergoing procedures to save him from becoming a statistic of prostate cancer. So as a survivor, as a deaf man, and as an American, he proudly performed that November day.
In addition, Tom Cooney is a sportswriter who has interviewed such major league heroes as Ted Williams, Joe Namath, Wilt Chamberlain, Muhammad Ali, Mickey Mantle, Sugar Ray Leonard, Michael Jordan, and the list continues. As a bonus, he has been blessed with meeting seven presidents. Ronald Reagan spent 20 minutes with him, and he is probably the only American to meet former President George W. Bush more than once.
He recently was named one of Florida's Points of Light by Governor Jeb Bush, and was personally honored by the current President of the United States 3 weeks ago for his volunteer services spanning 44 years.
Tom is actively involved with Lily the Love Frog www.lilythelovefrog.org an organization that strives to "Unlock the Silence through Knowledge and Understanding. Through this program, which he started with an individual from St Petersburg's ITP program, students learn lessons that they can take out of the classroom and bring with them into the world to help make it a way of thinking about disabilities forever.
His performance in Historic Boston's Fenway Park was numbered among the top thrills of his life. To stand at home plate where Ted Williams once stood sent shivers up his spine. Over the years Tom has navigated the world in silence and long ago he refused to succumb to his disability. Instead, he has chosen to turn it into an asset and strives to be a role model for other deaf individuals.