Ellie Reinbold Taft (wife of SMU Assistant Football Coach Jeff Reinebold), Greg McMackin, Mayor Mufi Hanneman, and an unknown participant listen to opening remarks to media by SMU Head Coach June Jones prior to their departure to American Samoa yesterday afternoon to conduct the June Jones American Samoa Football Academy.

The Academy that runs today and tomorrow, was first offered by the head coach of Southern Methodist University last year, and is geared toward advancing and enhancing the skills of local high school athletes and coaches, to better equip them in utilizing their talents in pursuit of their dreams, a member of the Samoa Bowl Committee told Samoa News earlier this month.

Taft, a health care professional, will once again lead the Medical Mission, which will bring certified nurses and doctors representing more than 90 years experience in emergency medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics and more than 40 years of expert training.

According to the Dallas Morning News, the Medical Mission team has a goal to deliver $150,000 in medical supplies, toys, games and medical teaching tools generously donated by Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children (KMCWC) for the health providers in American Samoa.

The Committee said last year’s Academy was “extremely successful” with more than 600 youth participating in football clinics. Five scholarships worth $2,000 each were awarded in 2008 to high school seniors by the June Jones Foundation.

Click to read Dallas Morning News story about the American Samoa June Jones Football Academy.

http://www.samoanews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=7299&edition=1259488800&newssection=Custom1

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