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TERRELL?As long as there’s a market for action flicks, power saws and suped-up cars, it’s obvious little boys’ love for Tonka trucks and all things masculine grow in size and cost, but never go away. But for an 11-year-old boy from the East Texas town of Terrell, it’s far more than engines and dynamite that keep him ticking.
Casey Rogers, son of Russell and Shelly, founded a ministry for the homeless three years ago when his heart became burdened for those living on the streets. Now, because of an essay he wrote about his work with Dallas’ homeless, Casey will push the button to implode Texas Stadium?home to the Dallas Cowboys for 38 seasons?in Irving on April 11.
“I feel way ecstatic,” said Casey, whose father is pastor of Trinity Life Baptist Church in Garland. “I’m just very surprised that they would pick me.”
Casey was chosen as the winner of an essay contest sponsored by Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.
Though Casey and his ministry, Casey’s Heart, are quickly growing in popularity nationwide, Casey is anything but soaking up the spotlight?at least not as long as that light is pointed on him.
“I don’t want to be popular. I just want to be Casey,” he said.
But when it comes to Casey’s Heart, he hopes the whole world will get involved in his cause.
Casey said he was once homeless himself?a foster child born into the world with biological parents, but no mom and no dad.
At 11 weeks old, though, Shelly and Russell Rogers adopted the baby into their family and brought him into their home, giving him a life he might otherwise never have had.
To many, it’s probably no surprise what the heart of a boy so loved and so wanted would later dream up on a drive through downtown Dallas.
“When I was 8 years old, I saw my first homeless man on the street and it made me really sad,” Casey said. “I’m adopted and I know how it feels to be homeless.”
From the backseat of the family’s car, Casey asked if since his parents had helped him and given him a home, food and a family, if it would be all right if he helped the homeless. The pastor and his wife said, “OK,” never knowing, Shelly said, how far it would go.
“We didn’t think this would last this long,” she said.
But last it has.
Now, Casey, his family and some members of Trinity Life make the trip to downtown Dallas once a month to deliver basic toiletry items, water and food.
“We really need a trailer,” he said.
And they really might need one considering the notoriety the ministry has gained from the announcement that Casey’s essay earned him the right to detonate the legendary stadium where the Cowboys became “America’s Team” and Tom Landry’s fedora became a familiar icon.
Since the announcement that Casey will implode Texas Stadium, the Casey’s Heart Facebook page had attracted 2,244 fans as of March 25, up from three.
The page is full of people commenting about wanting to help and wanting to set up drop off stations in the metroplex for Casey’s Heart donations. Casey said they’ve even received donations f
