Monday, April 20, 1998 | 9:14 a.m.
The typical well-intentioned approach is to throw money at the problem and sometimes that works. It's hardly foolproof, however.
Deacon Jones has a better idea.
And he has a growing network of corporate executives who not only agree with him but are willing to finance his Deacon Jones Foundation, a nonprofit organization with ties to eight American cities including Las Vegas.
The foundation's game plan: Find and fund young people from the inner city who are interested in a free college education in exchange for spending one month a year for seven years volunteering in their community. One other stipulation: Upon graduation from college, the candidate will be asked to return to his or her community and, whenever possible, utilize their skills in a lifelong effort to improve the day-to-day living conditions in that area.
"This is about having the right tools and attacking the problem of poverty," Jones said from his home in Southern California. "I think I've got a solution. I think I've got one of the most innovative programs of its kind."
Jones, 60, was a famed professional football player with the Los Angeles Rams and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. A vital cog in the Rams' "Fearsome Foursome" defensive line that included Rosey Grier, Merlin Olsen and Lamar Lundy, Jones will formally introduce his program to Las Vegans May 9 at The Orleans hotel-casino with a roast and an auction of sports memorabilia.
"We're already getting a great response from Las Vegas," he said. "From what I can tell, people there think this is a helluva idea and they've had a spontaneous reaction. They want to participate."
Aside from Las Vegas, the initial cities in the Deacon Jones Foundation are Chicago, New York, Boston, Orlando, Atlanta, New Orleans and Los Angeles. In each city this year, efforts will be made to select a person about to enter their sophomore year in high school and award that person with a college scholarship in exchange for the inherent commitment of annual volunteer work and, perhaps, a further return on the investment when the student graduates from college and enters the work force.
"I don't want to just be a piece of the puzzle," Jones said. "I want us to train people and then see them come back to the community where they grew up. Usually, if a person from the inner city is lucky enough to break from a pattern of poverty, that person also breaks away from his community.
"We want to get a kid three years before he goes to college and start training him right then and there. We want him to bring whatever knowledge he gains back to his community, and if he wants to open a business after he gets out of college we'll be there to assist him every step of the way."
Corporate America is embracing the concept, as Jones has commitments from a number of business and industry leaders. The foundation's nine-person Board of Directors includes representatives from businesses like Champion Products, American Express and Union Bank of California.
"This is no small-time deal," Jones said. "It's a long-term program that won't all happen in my lifetime. We'll build character, we'll change the thought pattern and we'll build leaders.
"We'll also turn people over, so that one person who we helped will eventually be helping other people."
The foundation, and its cyclical nature, has Jones unabashedly excited.
"I'm so happy," he said. "We're into what I call Phase 2 of our process and we're joining hands with communities and corporations to help solve a huge problem. We're not giving anything away, we're just providing tools for people to help themselves.
"I'm thrilled to a T and ready to get out on the road."
His Las Vegas stop at The Orleans May 9 includes a roast that will feature Jones and his Fearsome Foursome teammates, plus other former NFL greats such as Gale Sayers, Lem Barney, John Mackey, Art Donovan and Bubba Smith. Tables of 10 seats are available at $1,000 and single seats range from $150 to $600.
A silent auction will precede the roast and among the items available for bid is a championship belt worn into the ring by Muhammad Ali.
The Deacon Jones Foundation is a tax-deductable public charity.
For tickets or more information call 873-1185.
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