Cowboys' Owner Jerry Jones Makes Mark On North Texas Community
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - As Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones makes his mark in NFL history with his enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, his impact on North Texas goes beyond what happens on the field.
Fans like Pat Patey of the Salvation Army say Jones left his mark not only in the community but also in their hearts.
Patey, marketing and communications director for the Salvation Army in Dallas/Fort Worth, says what Jones has done for the organization warms his heart as memorabilia and memories fill the halls.
"It's been a quarter of a century of support, and if the Salvation Army had a Hall of Fame for supports, Jerry Jones would definitely be in it," said Patey.
Through Texas Stadium and the debuts of AT&T Stadium and The Star, Jones helped change the faces of Irving, Arlington and Frisco.
"He not only turned Dallas into the face of football. Everywhere in the world, they look at the Dallas Cowboys as America's Team," said Cowboys fan Oscar Toups.
Another fan, Kevin Alger, says he met Jones in Oxnard during the Cowboys' training camp.
"I felt privileged. I appreciate that he took the time to come out the sidelines and autograph everyone's merchandise," said Alger.
The Salvation Army says since the Cowboys started sponsoring the Red Kettle kickoff in 1997, over $2 billion has been raised nationwide.
