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Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Snellville man to help others
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Willis Bennett had told me his grandson, Ryan Mercer, would be difficult to understand. Listen carefully, he suggested, and I did.
Ryan, 21, of Snellville has cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder that affects muscle movement. He attends the Monarch School, a public special-needs school in Duluth.
Ryan loves Southern gospel music. He attends concerts with his grandpa, Willis Bennett of Loganville. One of his favorite songs is “I’ll Fly Away.”
Years ago, grandpa and grandson were returning home after a weekend concert in Rogersville, Tenn. Ryan got an idea.
“Why not take my love for gospel music and use it to raise money for charities that serve adults and children with disabilities?
“This was when I was about 9 years old,” Ryan told me. “I told my grandpa about it and he liked the idea.”
It marked the start of Ryan’s Gospel Singing Jubilee, a concert that’s raised more than $125,000 since its inception. The 12th annual jubilee kicks off at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Rehoboth Baptist Church in Tucker. The Down East Boys, a quartet from Reidsville, N.C., and the Lambdins of Lawrenceville will provide entertainment.
The concert is free. A collection plate will be passed. Proceeds will benefit Camp ASCCA (Alabama Special Camp for Children and Adults), an Easter Seals’ facility for children and adults with disabilities in east central Alabama.
Ryan attended his first camp six years ago. His parents, Rhonda and Roy Mercer, weren’t sure about someone else taking care of him. Mom cried the first time they dropped him off and checked in almost daily.
Like most tough decisions, though, sending Ryan to summer camp has been a wise one. With the tubing, canoeing and fishing came a blessing.
“He has made lifelong, incredible friends there,” Rhonda Mercer said, “The counselors and staff are wonderful, caring people. They see Ryan for who he is. The camp allows us and other parents a much-needed break while knowing our children are having the time of their lives.”
Ryan calls the camp his “heaven-on-earth blessing.”
“It’s like being normal for one week,” said Ryan, who attends retreats at the Alabama facility throughout the year.
Ryan was diagnosed with CP when he was six months old. He uses a motorized wheelchair that he operates with his fingers.
“From the neck and above he’s smart as a whip,” said Bennett, Ryan’s grandpa, who owns the Willis Bennett Insurance agency in Snellville. “You just have to listen to him carefully to understand him.”
You have a chance to hear Ryan Friday night. He usually joins the featured performers on stage at every jubilee. They cue up and sing one of his favorite gospel songs.
Often, it’s “I’ll Fly Away.”
For more information about Ryan Mercer, visit www.ryansresources.homestead.com. Rick Badie’s column appears on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Contact him at 770-263-3875 or e-mail: rbadie@ajc.com.
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