June 13, 2011

HONOLULU - SMU football coach June Jones will lead a delegation to Pago Pago, American Samoa from June 13 to 16 for the Fourth Annual American Samoa Goodwill Mission sponsored by The June Jones Foundation.

In addition to Coach Jones, the delegation will include SMU trustees Brad Brookshire and Paul Loyd and Mr. Loyd's wife, Penny Loyd, former Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan and several former NFL players of Samoan descent, including San Francisco 49ers great Jesse Sapolu (four-time Super Bowl Champion), Denver Broncos Defensive End Ma'a Tanuvasa (two-time Super Bowl Champion), Philadelphia Eagles Running Back Reno Mahe as well as nine health care professionals, including certified doctors and nurses representing nearly 100 years' experience in emergency medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics.

This year, the Goodwill Mission will donate over $1,000,000 in medical supplies, equipment and medicine to American Samoa health organizations. The Medical team will once again be led by Ellie Taft who currently serves as the Clinical Inpatient Manager for Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgical Intensive Care at Stanford University and will soon be taking a position at the Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children. She will be joined by certified doctors and nurses representing nearly 100 years' experience in emergency medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics. The medical team will coordinate a Medical Experience Mobile Station, facilitate a Sports Medicine clinic, and will work side by side with local medical professionals at American Samoa healthcare facilities.

In conjunction with Blue Sky Communications, the June Jones Foundation will once again award $10,000.00 in college scholarships to five high school seniors ($2,000 each) who attend a college in the United States. Scholarship recipients are selected by the American Samoa Board of Education.

"We are deeply honored to have Coach Jones back in 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, his Foundation and all of the traveling party. We thank him for his significant contributions to American Samoa."

Coach Jones and the NFL players will also participate in several youth education initiatives that are sponsored by Mary Ann Taufa'asau Tulafono, the First Lady of American Samoa.

"The American Samoa Goodwill Mission has made a positive difference in the lives of others," said June Jones, Chairman of the June Jones Foundation. "Since inception (2008), the Mission has donated several million dollars in medical supplies and equipment, athletic apparel and academic scholarships to the people of American Samoa."

The American Samoa Goodwill Mission is made possible by a grant provided by The Loyd Charitable Foundation. Other generous support has been provided by Hawaiian Airlines, Adidas, Blue Sky Communications, GHC Reid & Company, Tradewinds Hotel and the Samoa Bowl Committee. Serving as Honorary Ambassadors for the Fourth Annual American Samoa Goodwill Mission are Paul and Penny Loyd.

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