Miss-Delectable

Grand marshal met Keller as a child | TimesDaily.com | The Times Daily | Florence, AL

Even at 9 years old, Tom Cooney knew when he met Helen Keller that he was in the presence of greatness.

The year was 1945, and World War II was winding down. Young Cooney, deaf since infancy, used a wheelchair throughout his childhood. He wrote Keller a letter. She not only responded, but invited him for a visit. His mother took him from his New Jersey home to visit Keller in Connecticut, where he had lunch and spent the day with the woman who had already reached iconic status around the world.

That visit so indelibly impressed Cooney that he began his own journey to educate the hearing world about issues and challenges facing the deaf. For 28 years, Cooney worked as a sportswriter for the Silent News Publication, interviewing the likes of baseball legends Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle. He's met many former presidents of the United States. But today marks a truly significant event in his life as he takes the reins as grand marshal of the Helen Keller Festival kickoff parade at 6 p.m.

Cooney is a motivational speaker and volunteer who has introduced sign language to more than 1 million hearing children, many of whom have grown up to become interpreters for the deaf. As an advocate for the deaf community, he has shared American Sign Language with the like of presidents, dignitaries and movie stars.

Cooney serves as vice president of Lily the Love Frog, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising deaf awareness. The organization, established in 2003, has established a computer users' group for deaf adults and a home-school venture where students are learning sign language and raising their awareness of the deaf culture. Its mission is to bridge the gap between the hearing and deaf communities.

While in Tuscumbia, Cooney will participate in various festival events, including today's Keller Kids program. He'll share his story with the participants, fifth- and sixth-graders from around the Shoals, and will assist with other activities throughout the day. Along with the children, he will learn to sign the song, "Miracle of Love," which the children will perform in Spring Park on Saturday. Cooney also will participate in Friday's festival activities and sign the National Anthem before Saturday night's concert in Spring Park.

The Helen Keller Festival is in its 31st year. Cooney, who travels with an interpreter, said he appreciates the fact that the town honors Keller and her legacy to the world. "Who would have guessed that by sharing that moment in my life with others it would bring such happiness and encouragement?" Cooney wrote in an e-mail response to the TimesDaily. "I thank Helen Keller for not only reading but also responding to a little boy's letter ... she will never fade from the minds of others as long as I can continue to share the story she gave my life."

As for being asked to be grand marshal, the first deaf person to fill the role, Cooney called it "a blessing beyond belief, and I must say this is a mountain of an experience."

While in Tuscumbia, Cooney will meet many of Keller's descendents, a privilege he said he looks forward to.

Gabe Basinger, this year's festival chairman, said there's no better avenue for honoring the work and life of Helen Keller than to coordinate into the events someone with some of the same disabilities.

"By having this tremendous man here in this capacity, it shows that we're trying to bring those in our community with disabilities into the festival activities and hopefully really can help bridge that gap," he said.

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