Hempfield marching band performs at home of terminally ill man well-known by his community Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Hide Transcript Show Transcript

FAMILY A VERY SPECIAL HOMECOMING. KELLY: DAYS AHEAD OF THE FIRST FRIDAY NIGHT GAME, IT’S NOT UNUSUAL TO HEAR THE SOUND OF A MARCHING BAN BUT WHAT THE HEMPFIELD AREA SPARTAN MARCHING BAND WAS WARMING UP FOR WAS A DIFFERENT KIND OF PERFORMANC A FIGHT SONG FOR A FIGHTING SPIRIT. MARCHING THROUGH A GREENSBURG NEIGHBORHOOD AND STRAIGHT TO THE FRONT YARD OF HEMPFIELD’S MOST BELOVED RESIDENT, TERRY RANEIERI. >> TERRY HAS BEEN A FIXTURE IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR DECADES. CHILDREN IN OUR BAND AND THEIR PARENTS, AND THEIR PARENTS ALL GREW UP KNOWING TERRY. I KNEW IT WOULD MEAN THE WORLD FOR EVERYONE AND FOR TERRY TO BE ABLE TO COME AND PLAY FOR HIM TODAY. KELLY: TERRY JUST CAME HOME AFTER ALMOST A MONTH IN THE ICU WITH AGRESSIVE CANCER. NOW HE IS IN HOSPICE CARE, HIS FAMILY BY HIS SIDE. >> TERRY HAS VERY LITTLE THINGS TO BE POSITIVE ABOUT RIGHT NOW . BUT HE ALWAYS SEEMS TO SMILE. HE’LL GIVE YOU A THUMBS UP. HE IS THE MOST POSITIVE PERSON YOU COULD POSSIBLY IMAGINE. KELLY: NOW 64 YEARS OLD, TERRY’S SPARTAN SPIRIT RUNS DEEP. HE GRADUATED HEMPFIELD IN 1975, RARELY MISSING A FRIDAY GAME BETWEEN THEN AND NOW. HIS FAVORITE PART ABOUT THOSE NIGHTS WAS THE MUSIC. AND THANKS TO THE BAND’S GIFT TODAY, HE GOT TO HEAR IT AGAIN how awesome >> HE’S JUST A REALLY GREATAIN SUPPORTER OF US, AND IT’S REALLY COOL. THERE’S REALLY NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE HOW AWESOME THAT REALLY IS AND HOW WARM IT MADE SOME PEOPLE FEEL. KELLY: TERRY BECAME SO WELL KNOWN BY MAKING FRIENDS ANYWHERE, ESPECIALLY AT THE LOCAL MALLS AND, OF COURSE, SPARTAN STADIUM. >> SEEING HIM AT FOOTBALL GAMES, HE WAS ALWAYS THERE TO CHEER US ON AND WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST SPARTAN SUPERFANS I’VE MET IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. KELLY: TERRY WAS BORN WITH WILLIAMS SYNDROME. IN HIS CASE, LESS OF A DISABILITY, AND MORE OF AN ABILITY TO SPREAD JOY WITH THOSE HE MEETS. EVEN NOW. >> A NURSE GAVE HIM A SHOT THE OTHER DAY AND HE SAID THANK YOU. AND SHE SAID NO ONE REALLY THANKS ME FOR GIVING THEM A SHOT IN THE STOMACH BEFORE. BUT HE’S APPRECIATIVE. AND GRATEFUL. HE’S THE EPITOME OF LOVE. KELLY: WE MAY NOT GET TO EXPERIENCE TERRY’S PRESENCE AT SPARTAN STADIUM ANYMORE. BUT, ONE MORE SURPRISE TODAY FROM SUPERINTENDENT DR. TAMMY WOLICKI, SHORED UP HIS SPOT IN THE HEART OF SPARTAN COUNTRY, FOREVER. >> IT’S MY PLEASURE TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE ARE MAKING YOU AN HONORARY MEMBER OF OUR WALL OF FAME. THIS IS ISSUED TO YOU TODAY AND SAYS YOU’RE RECOGNIZED BY THE HEMPFIELD AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT AS AN ALUMNI WHO HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUITION AND HONORARY ACCOMPLISHMENTS WITHIN YOUR CAREER. FOREVER SERVING AS AN EXAMPLE FOR FUTURE GRADUATES TO BE THE BEST THAT THEY CAN BE. KELLY: THE SONG MAY ALMOST BE OVER, BUT THE MELODY CONTINUES. WITH FUTURE GENERATIONS OF SPARTANS, TAKING THE LEAD HIS KINDNESS, POSITIVE SPIRIT, AND LOVE OF COMMUNITY. >> HEL

SIGN UP FOR BREAKING NEWS Get local stories sent straight to your inbox as news breaks. Submit Privacy Notice