Jason McElwain, the autistic high school basketball manager who caught the nation’s attention and a slew of movie offers from his recent 20-point performance for Greece Athena High School outside of Rochester, NY, today caught the attention of the President George W. Bush. And while, commenting on the weather, Jason’s mother said “”I thought it would be warmer,” President Bush’s greeting was about as warm as could be.
According to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle’s Breaking News Blog:
Also in the line were Greece Athena basketball sensation Jason McElwain — J-Mac — his parents Dave and Debbie McElwain and his basketball coach, Jim Johnson.
The President then met Father Joseph Champlin of Syracuse, who founded the Guardian Angel Society, a non-profit organization which benefits the Cathedral School in Syracuse. Champlin was given the President’s Volunteer Service Award.
After the award was made under the shelter of the wing of Air Force One, the president walked toward the media staging area arm-in-arm with Jason McElwain. “Do you mind if I call you J-Mac?” Bush said. “You can call me George W.”
Bush said of J-Mac’s 20-point performance for Greece Athena that it “touched the heart of citizens across the country. I saw it on TV and I wept.”
The president and J-Mac embraced and J-Mac received a bookmark and tie clip with the presidential seal. Coach Johnson gave Bush one of the sticks bearing J-Mac’s face that was used at the Greece Athena game in which Jason played. The president waved it and smiled as he entered his limousine to leave for Canadaigua.
Jason said said he was surprised by the attention he received from the president. “I thought it would be real quick,” he said.