Dallas native Spieth continues to give back to his home
new lab puppy, Silo, so-named because Spieth and Verret got her during a charity event at Silo Ridge Field Club in New York state.
“I think what’s so cool about this park is that it’s so inclusive,” Spieth said. “That’s the word that I kind of keep hearing in my head as everyone speaks up here, is ‘inclusion.’
Spieth’s younger sister, Ellie, was born with a neurological disorder. Ellie and her 23 fellow cheer squad members from Dallas’ Notre Dame School, which is exclusively devoted to educating students with developmental disabilities, came in uniform Thursday and opened the ceremony with several rousing cheers.
Austin-based Kompan designed and created the Flag Pole Hill playground to encourage not only physical, but cognitive development and social interaction for children of all ages and abilities.
“Outside of this new amazing equipment, the significance of the all-inclusive play space is what’s so powerful,” Spieth said. “It welcomes all families, all ages, all capabilities, which is so unique.”
Later, after he and Ellie took part in the ribbon-cutting, Spieth gazed at the playground’s SuperNova, Explorer Dome and Boomerang apparatuses and marveled: “It’s totally different from any park I grew up going to. I’m just jealous that I’m not 5 years old.”
This playground was nearly four years in the making. Ultimately it became a collaborative effort from, among others, the Lake Highlands Junior Women’s and Women’s Leagues, the Lake Highlands Exchange Club and White Rock’s For the Love of the Lake club, but Dallas councilmember McGough said an early $175,000 commitment from the Spieth Family Foundation was key.
“When you think about what you know about Jordan Spieth and the global star that he is, but also the community representative that he is and the heart that he has, I just thought, ‘What a wonderful way to make this happen: I think now we’ve got a chance,’“McGough recalled.
The Spieth Family Foundation’s mission is to offer philanthropic support and help raise awareness in four areas: special needs youth, junior golf, military support and pediatric cancer.
Spieth’s mother, Chris, says it was Jordan’s decision to name the foundation after his entire family. His father, Shawn, is on the board of directors. Mom Chris, Verret and Verret’s parents are on the advisory board. Chris figures that when Jordan’s brother, Steven, finishes his pro basketball career -- he’s currently playing in Bosnia -- he, too, will play a role in the foundation.
Chris rarely tweets about Jordan’s golf accomplishments, but on occasions like Thursday’s, she’ll tweet a photo or a story link and a simple “Proud mom.”
“What mom wouldn’t be?” she said after Thursday’s ceremony, walking Ellie back to their car to take her to school. “He’s done a lot of great things and this is more icing on the cake.”
The next time Jordan tees it up in a PGA Tour event, he’ll be a married man. He and Verret haven’t publicly announced a wedding date, but Chris says it will be this fall.
Some might regard their getting Silo as a step toward starting a family. Ellie, however, has other ideas.
“Mom, when is my new puppy coming?” she asked Thursday.
“Your new puppy is Jordan and Annie’s puppy, not your puppy.”
“Is it coming to the house?” “Sometime, but you have to go to school now.”