December 10, 2025 • 29 mins
Dr. Yuan Po-Tu gives us an inside take on protecting yourself from infectious diseases as the weather continues to keep us cold and indoors, as well as looking ahead to travel and gathering. Redmond Mayor Birney talks about the Toys for Tots drive she attended, and Garry Gilliam, who was also in attendance tells Jessamyn what empowers him to continue giving back to the Seattle community.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome into Seattle Voice, your community voice presented by iHeartRadio
here in Seattle. I'm Jessinman McIntyre, your host, and I'm
pleased to be joined again by doctor Janpotu, who is
the medical director of Infectious Disease and Outbreak Response with
optim Washington. Doctor, thank you again for joining me.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
It's great being here.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Thank you well.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
We appreciate your time and your knowledge and your insight
on what's going on. As many people know, this is
a heavy travel season and a heavy gathering season as
we move beyond Thanksgiving and head into Christmas, there's a
lot going on. I think the first two things that
people think of as they're masking up and trying to
protect themselves from any sort of infection is influenza, the
(00:44):
flu and COVID because those are the most common things
that are talked about in the media. I wanted to
get your take and your information on how those levels
are in our area right now.
Speaker 4 (00:55):
So in the.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Puture Sound area, we have very low levels of COVID
going on now. The COVID levels have been declining for
the last three months or so, so that's the good news.
The amount of influenza is slowly rising. We're still in
the early part of the influenza season, so now's the
time to get your fluid shot and to get your
(01:16):
COVID shot if you have not had one since let's
say September of this year.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Okay, that is very good advice. Thank you very much
for that. They make it so convenient at least where
I live. I am in the Edmund's area in Washington here,
so just north of Seattle, and I feel like I
go to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription and
there's just hey, do you want a flu shot?
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Too?
Speaker 3 (01:38):
And I think that that can help absolutely.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
So everyone six months of age and older should get
a flu shot, especially those who at highest risk of
having complications of flu, and that would include everyone over
the age of sixty five. Youngsters between six months and
kindergarten because they have high rates of complications, just like
in the fifty and above range, and also they're much
(02:03):
more likely to come down with the flu because they're
in preschool in kindergarten.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Well why is that? Why are they more vulnerable.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Because they've never been exposed to the flu before, and
so they don't have any natural immunity, They don't have
any memory of being previously infected, and their immune system
is not geared toward it. And we also know that
kids congregate in school and one kid comes in sick
and all of a sudden, two or three days later,
everybody in the classroom is sick. So getting your kid
(02:33):
protected with immunization is the smart thing to do, and
it's the safe thing to do for your kids.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Well, that's great again, this is doctor yon Potu joining
me from Optum Health. And I wanted to kind of
go back to COVID because that's the red flag that
everyone draws, right and we went through it all from
twenty twenty till now and it is still around. I'm
really happy to hear that the levels are low, and
I'm wondering what you think the cause of that is.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
It's just the seasonal cycle, and so we know that
influenza goes up every winter, and we're about at the
start of influence the season right now. We also know
that COVID for the last three years has cycled twice,
once in the summer and once in the winter, and
so right now we're just kind of at the low tide,
and I expect the amount of COVID to go up
(03:19):
later after the first of the year, as it has
in the last three years.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Yeah, and that.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Is right after people have been traveling and right after
people have been gathering.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
So that makes a lot of sense.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
What recommendations would you give for people, aside from vaccination
to protect themselves from COVID.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
So the first thing is everyone should get vaccinated for
influence and the flu. That is qualified and especially if
you have chronic medical conditions are older. And the second
thing is that when you're traveling, especially in the airports
where there's big crowds, is to wear a mask and
wash your hands. So masking and crowded condition is certainly a.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
Thing that I do.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Every time I go into the airport, I put a
mask on and I leave the mask on throughout my travels.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
That's good advice.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
Yeah again, doctor Janpocho joining me here Seattle Voice, your
community voice here presented by iHeartRadio in Seattle. And I
know that that was some good news, but we are
in some cycles. Let's talk about the concerns Avian flu
is making headlines once again.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Where are we right now?
Speaker 2 (04:27):
So Avian flu is the influenza virus that affects birds
and that's why we call it avian influenza. We've been
under a worldwide avian flu pandemic for many years and
especially since twenty twenty two. This has caused a huge
die off of a lot of birds in the Pacific Flyway.
(04:51):
So it's the equivalent of an airport for birds is
the Washington, Alaska, Oregon, California coastline where they migrate in
the spring and now migrate in the winter. And we
have seen this virus transfer over or spill over to
cattle and certain dairy cottles, and several states have become
(05:13):
infected with avian influenza as well as into commercial poultry
operations as well as into backyard flocks. So avian influenza
can certainly kill birds wild birds, it can get into
commercial flocks and kill turkeys and broilers and egg laying
hens as well as cattle and other animals.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
And what kind of threat does that post to people?
Speaker 2 (05:38):
So there have been about seventy two cases of avian
influenza that have been documented in people, and there have
been two deaths due to avian influenza and people, one
in Washington State about a week and a half ago
and one in Louisiana earlier this year. Both the cases
resulted from spillover infections of handling birds or being around
(06:03):
sick animals and into a vulnerable person who had other
chronic underlying diseases.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
And for those who I mean, obviously it's spreadable animal
to human. What can people do when it comes to
avian flu to protect themselves?
Speaker 2 (06:20):
But first of all, there is no avian flu that
is spreading from person to person. We don't have avian
flu spreading from person to person. We have seasonal flu
or seasonal influenza, which we see every year. But avian
flu is a new type of flu that if it
got into humans and was spreading for humans to human
would potentially cause the next pandemic. That is the concern
(06:42):
that we have.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Interesting what is going on.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
What is going on is that avian flu now instead
of just being confined to birds, is now affecting mammals.
It is now in the feel population, causing die offs
of of elephants, seals, and other seals. It's gotten into
other types of mammals including cows and cats and has
(07:10):
caused massive die offs in these populations. When it spreads
to these animals that don't have any immunity.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
How does that happen? And you might not be able
to provide this answer. I'm just genuinely curious. Does the
virus mutate to be able to find a new host
when it comes from bird to mammal?
Speaker 2 (07:28):
So all new diseases, almost all new diseases come from
what we call crossover or spillover infections. So if we
think about the new coronavirus or several we have seasonal
coronaviruses like seasonal flute. But what happened in late nineteen
(07:51):
ninety nine and two thousand was a spillover into humans
from the animal world of this new virus that humans
did not have any immunity to, and the virus had
been mutated enough to spread from human to human. We
have seen this with other coronaviruses like mirors Middle Eastern
(08:13):
coronavirus previously, as well as STARS one in early two
thousands and so this is not an unusual occurrence for
humans to come in contact intimate contact, close contact with
animals and then pick up an animal virus, and if
the animal virus is mutated enough to spread from human
(08:35):
to human, it can cause diseases such as.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Ebola, well, we have to be careful, like you said,
mask up and wash your hands, whether or not you
are handling animals. I assume that everybody should just be
doing this to protect themselves from everything out there.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
So the first thing is to once again be vaccinated
against the diseases that you can prevent, such as influence
than COVID and measles or MMR. The second thing is
that don't handle dead or sick animals. And if you
see a dead bird, whether it's a wild bird or
a backyard poultry that you keep as pets as being dead,
(09:16):
don't handle that. And if you're much better off calling
the health department and say what do I do with
this dead bird, as opposed to trying to clean it
up yourself. If you do handle dead birds, to make
sure that you wear a respirator in ninety five masks,
goggles and gloves at a minimum, then not to bring
(09:37):
it into your house, not to bring it into your car.
And this applies not only to birds that are sick,
but also mammals like seals and things that you might
find on the beach, because you just don't want to
get any of these potentially very seriously serious diseases.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Yes, absolutely again doctor Janpotu joining me here. He is
the medical director of Infectious Diseases and Outbreak Response with
optim Washington. And I know that the last time that
we talked, we were focusing on measles.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
Where are we with that disease right now?
Speaker 2 (10:10):
So, unfortunately, the United States continues to experience a very
large measles outbreak. We are now over seventeen hundred cases
that have been confirmed in the United States. It's very
like and the same thing is going on in Canada
with over five thousand confirmed cases and in Mexico, Mexico loss.
There are measles elimination status a couple of weeks ago,
(10:33):
and I anticipate that the United States will lose its
measles status measles free status because we have had ongoing
transmission now since the beginning of the year, will probably
lose that after the first year. Well, that's Measles is
a very important it is a very important disease that
we can prevent with MMR vaccinations, and all children should
(10:58):
get their first MMR vaccine at twelve to fifteen months
and then again prior to enter in kindergarten.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Absolutely, what advice would you give. Outside of vaccinations, which
we have touched on quite a bit of how important
they are, advice to parents because sometimes if a kid
wakes up and isn't just feeling that great, maybe you
send them to school and you're willing to pick them
up if they nurse calls or something. But what advice
would you give to parents around this time?
Speaker 2 (11:23):
So, first of all, anybody, whether it's a kid or
an adult, who has a fever should not be going
to work, because that's when you are the most contagious,
and regardless of the virus or the illness that you
have that's giving you fevers, you're likely contagious to others.
The second thing is that if you have any kind
of difficulty breathing or confusion or not being responsive, you
(11:49):
probably need to be evaluated that day. And the third
thing is obviously if you're having chest pain or difficulty breathing,
that's a nine to one to one type emergency where
you need to be seen within the hour. Any fever
in an individual lasting for more than four days also
needs to be evaluated. So let's say that you come
down with influenza. It's not unusual to have fevers for
(12:11):
two to three days, but after four days, you really
should be seen in the clinic.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
Thank you for that.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
I mean, I travel, you know, every single weekend for
college football, and I see a lot of people masking
up these days, and I know it was a mandate
for a long time and it no longer is for travel. However,
I do see a lot of people protecting themselves and
I take that as a good sign.
Speaker 4 (12:34):
I agree.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
Wonderful doctor. Thank you so much for your time today.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
I really appreciate it, and I hope for everyone out
there you all keep your loved ones safe and do
everything that you can in your power to do so,
and listen to this advice.
Speaker 3 (12:48):
Doctor. Thank you again.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
Have a great day you too.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
It's always nice to get perspective from doctors around this
time of year. But I'm going to shift years.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
As you know.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
Last week I let you know about a Toys for
TI hots event that was happening this past Tuesday, and
it took place down in Redmond, and we know that
several Seahawks participated as well. But I had the pleasure
of catching up with Mayor Bernie you're mayor of Redmond, Washington,
who showed up to the event and I think that
you should listen to why she had to be there. Well,
(13:19):
and now we're coming to you live from the event here,
and the Mayor of Redmond herself is here. Mayor Bernie,
thank you so much for spending a couple of minutes
to talk about not only this event, but your presence here.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
What drew you to show up today?
Speaker 5 (13:31):
Well, I think that this is such a great organization,
does so many good things for the community. I think
when we can make time in our schedule to share
the joy, that's what I do. So here I am
in Redmond today to celebrate with all of these wonderful
community members.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
Well, I love it so much.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
This isn't my first time down here in this specific location,
and so I think redmand may be thought of as
off the beaten path as.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
A lot of places.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
So what does it mean to have a community event
held in your city?
Speaker 5 (13:59):
I think it's fantastic. I mean, I think it's just
so unexpected community members coming in and seeing you know,
former football players sharing in the joy of the season,
I think is fantastic. And I think Redmond is such
a fantastic place to be that I think it's great
that they picked this spot to share with this great event.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
I would completely agree.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
And I was looking over some of the silent auction
items here.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
These are no joke situations.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
We've got Julio Rodriguez sign Jersey, JSN Sign Jersey. There's
a lot going on here, and just seeing the kind
of outpouring of just the donations must mean a lot
to see.
Speaker 5 (14:34):
Yeah, I think there's so much to see here. And
you know, once again, this is such a great opportunity
for the community to come out and show their support
for people who really need a little cheer over the holidays.
And I think those oh man, I see a Darnald jersey.
I mean, and oh my gosh, you know, all of
the things that are up here for auction are really
a great opportunity for people to get a little something
(14:56):
special in their holiday and give a little something spect
people who really need it.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
And one of the things that I've talked about on
my show is that it's not just you know, the
people getting these who can afford these items and things,
but the donations that are going on Toys for tots.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
It's always nice for a.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
Child to open a present, but for the parents to
be able to give the gifts to their child and
not have to let them know it came from somewhere else.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
I feel like that means something too.
Speaker 5 (15:22):
Yeah. Absolutely, I mean I think that I've been very
fortunate in my life that I've been able to be
that parent, to be able to find things for my
kids and give it to them. But I also know
there's many in our communities that are struggling, and so
just to have that little bit of cheer and be
able to find that special gift for their kid and
be able to give it to them just will make
(15:43):
their holiday even more special.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Well, thank you so much for your time, your presence
is obviously really special. To be here today, and I
was driving through the Redmond Town Center.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
It is gorgeous.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
I love it people, it is not it Well, it's
pretty populated. I shouldn't say it's a hidden gem or anything,
but for those who are more on the west side
get over to Redman.
Speaker 3 (16:03):
It's pretty awesome.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (16:04):
Absolutely, And we have pretty soon the light rail will
be going over the bridge. It'll be a lot easier
to come shop and experience Redmond for all it is.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
Merry Christmas.
Speaker 5 (16:14):
Merry Christmas.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
Well, it was great to see the mayor there at
the Toys for Tots drive at BJ's and Redmond and
another person who I saw there as well, Gary Gilliam.
And I'm sure all the Seahawks faithful Seattle faithful out
here remember him for not only being a huge part
of the Seahawks NFC championship team and the team that
(16:38):
went to back to back Super Bowls, but for that
crazy play that he made that spark to come back
in that NFC Championship game, a touchdown catch from John
Ryan punter John Ryan. Gary Gilliam is here with me, Gary,
thank you so much already.
Speaker 4 (16:55):
Yeah, absolutely, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
Obviously I like to relive those moments, but we're here
to talk talk about what you're doing in the communities,
and I had the pleasure again of seeing you at
that event. But you have a lot of other things
going on. Let's talk about Empower at the Bridge, your
role there and what the organization does here in the communities.
Speaker 4 (17:15):
Yeah, absolutely so.
Speaker 6 (17:16):
Empower at the Bridge Foundation is actually the foundation that
works alongside my development company and our development company we
convert old schools, mall shopping centers into community centers, affordable housing, entertainment,
education spaces, and we call those eco villages, so the
companies called the Bridge Eco Village, and then our foundation
(17:37):
we go into communities not just to build these spaces,
but also educate folks on how to use those spaces,
how to start businesses, how to farm, how to go
acquire real estate, and we teach them trades as well.
You know, so kind of these resilience hubs one stop
shop and inspired by where I grew up in Hershey, Pennsylvania,
(17:58):
and then wanted to replicate you know what I have
got a chance to experience. And I always say, if
you have a complaint, you have a career. So that's
what I'm doing.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Now, that's a really good phrase again. Gary Gilliam joining me,
Seattle Voice Jasaman mcinti.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
Here.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
This is presented by iHeartRadio here in Seattle. If you
want your voice heard, email Seattle Voice at iHeartMedia dot com. Now,
you like you said, you're from Hershey, Pennsylvania. What drew
you to Seattle to stay here in your post career?
Speaker 6 (18:26):
I know when I first came out here, it was
like mid to late May, so it was beautiful. I
was surprised, oddly enough, by how much water was here,
how green it was, how clean the air was.
Speaker 4 (18:37):
But beyond you know, the environmental things that I loved.
Speaker 6 (18:40):
Other people, you know, the people, the twelves, you know,
even beyond those who are interested in football, just to
vibe out here, you know, innovation, progression. They care about folks,
you know. So not to say they don't in Pennsylvania.
But I enjoyed it out here, and it definitely has
turned into my home. I've been here for twelve years now,
which is longer than I lived anywhere else, you know,
So I would definitely say that this is home for me.
Speaker 4 (19:03):
Environment but definitely the people. That's what lock me in.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
I hear you on that again, Gary Gillium joining me here.
And I moved out here in two thousand and nine,
and it was a career move. I was young, ambitious,
threw all my stuff in a car. I was working
at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut, and I said, I
want to try it. Okay, I'll be here for three
to five years. So sixteen years later, this is my
home now, and it's almost the longest I've ever lived anywhere,
(19:29):
because I grew up in New York, but I left
there at eighteen and you know, for college and then
my career and I obviously miss it, but I hear
you on that.
Speaker 3 (19:40):
How long did you say again?
Speaker 1 (19:42):
Twelve years? Well, how appropriate for that, Gary Gilliam. You
are also a part of the Legion Legacy Foundation. Can
you educate us a little bit on who they are
and what they do?
Speaker 4 (19:54):
Yeah? For sure.
Speaker 6 (19:55):
So you know, off the back of the Legion of Boom,
the iconic defense that we had during my time in Seattle,
Richard and Cam started a restaurant.
Speaker 4 (20:05):
Right over in Bellevue.
Speaker 6 (20:06):
I think there's a few locations around as well. And Cam,
you know, he he observes actually a lot of guys
that I played with, they see a lot of the
work that I do in the community. So Cam and I,
you know, just kind of got the talk in and
I was expressing interest in, you know, doing more out
here in the Pacific Northwest, and he said that he
wanted to as well. You know that he already does
some stuff, but wants to kind of put a little
bit more structure around it.
Speaker 4 (20:27):
So I was like, you know what, you know, well
maybe we can work together on that.
Speaker 6 (20:31):
So, you know, born was the Legion Legacy Foundation looking
to bring in you know, just kind of our former
Seattle Seahawks for sure, but athletes in general.
Speaker 4 (20:39):
We want to have legacy beyond the game.
Speaker 6 (20:41):
Uh you know, to us, NFL stands for not for long,
but you know, even beyond yeah.
Speaker 4 (20:48):
But beyond that.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
Right.
Speaker 6 (20:49):
We had some successful cats that that we played with
a lot of our former teammates, you know, so they
invest in their communities, you know, So we want to
find a way to be able to do that together,
to maximize our impact together, utilize our social capital together,
you know, certainly off the side of the restaurant, a
focus on food security, a focus on youth sports, fellowship,
(21:09):
just you know, bringing folks together, providing resources and opportunities
for those who don't oftentimes get them. So that's the
Lesion Legacy Foundation. I guess you could call me the
executive director of it. And you know Cam is on
the board and the rest of the guys. So this
is kind of, I guess one of our first public
facing events, this this toy drive that we're doing. But
(21:29):
we have done some internal things assisting some families were
getting some resources, some food, some coach, some some things
that they need, you know, throughout the holiday season here
and as it's continued to get colder, so we're excited.
Speaker 4 (21:41):
To keep working.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
Well, I love it and your passion and the fact
that you guys all came together and nobody really from
that team well I mean, I don't want to say nobody,
but almost no one.
Speaker 3 (21:52):
From that team is from this area.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
And seeing you former teammates get together to improve here,
make their home here is just something that I don't
think And I haven't been in a lot of local
NFL spots, but I've never seen anything like it. What
do you think it is about the unity of that
team that allows you guys to collaborate so well yeah.
Speaker 6 (22:15):
Well, well beyond knowing how to win together and work
together and know our roles and execute. Honestly, this may
be a question just for sports buffs out there, or
maybe not, maybe a deeper case study to be done,
but there's got to be some type of correlation to
those former NFL players on any team who stick around
that team if they want a championship with that team. Interesting,
(22:38):
because I yeah, like there's God, there's got to be
some type of correlation to it, because you know, like
Seattle is not necessarily like a destination spot that most
folks are going to go after they finished playing, right,
But there's there beyond you know, we want a championship together.
You know, there's a bunch of us out here, but
there's also other Seattle you know, former Seattle Seahawks that
are still here too. So maybe there's not a correlation.
(22:58):
I have no idea, but maybe there is so something
to be researched. But again, beyond that, again, we want
a lot of games together, been through some things together,
ups and downs, and then beyond that our lives off
the field, right, you know, our wives, our children, you know,
whether it was when we were planned or when we
finished playing, continued to keep those relationships thriving, right, so
the family just kept growing, you know, we continue to
(23:20):
find ways to activate together. You know, Cam comes over
my house, you know, with his wife and his kids
for Halloween. Right, We'll walk around neighborhood and go trigger treating.
Speaker 4 (23:28):
You know.
Speaker 6 (23:28):
So like just finding ways that we can do things
together I think is important, you know, not just for
our communities, but definitely for our families too.
Speaker 3 (23:36):
I love hearing those stories. Gary Gilliam joining me here.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
Jessman McIntyre, your host of Seattle Voice, presented by iHeartRadio
here in Seattle.
Speaker 3 (23:43):
What do you think is next?
Speaker 1 (23:44):
Because it sounds like you're you've got your hands in everything,
You've got your family here, and what do you think
would be the next building block for all the efforts
you're making.
Speaker 6 (23:55):
Yeah, well, I love to create you know, these bridges
that we create eco eco villages.
Speaker 4 (24:00):
Right.
Speaker 6 (24:00):
So we are in the process over the next twelve
to eighteen months identifying some land or you know, an
old school or a shopping center or an old office building,
right to find a building where we can create one
of those out here.
Speaker 4 (24:14):
And you know a bunch.
Speaker 6 (24:15):
Of my buddies, Cam Dug Cliff right there doing things
in real estate, very much excited and interested, knowing that
I that I have shifted my focus out here to
the Pacific Northwest, so certainly on the bigger infrastructure side
of things, we want to get some things in that
world done.
Speaker 4 (24:29):
But we're also building gardens right.
Speaker 6 (24:31):
Actually I wrote a children's book called The Bleacher Garden,
which is a story about how we converted an old
football field in my hometown into a farm. But it actually,
in real life spurred a national movement. And we're building gardens,
you know, all around the Nation, and we have a
few out here in Washington. So you know, folks have
land that they're like, man, I would love to have
a community garden there, whether they you know, if they
(24:51):
own it or they know, hey, maybe just take a
look at this lot or something, you know, reach out
to us to the foundation, find me on Instagram. Right.
I'm always looking to build farms and things. So that's
what we're doing, just taking it kind of one day
at a time, finding opportunities where most people don't find
them or don't see them, and then bringing together teams
to execute on great programs, you know, change policies, advocative
(25:12):
need you know, if we need to so all the
things that need to be done while we have the energy,
the social capital, and the means to get it done,
you know.
Speaker 4 (25:20):
So I'm excited about it.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
I love it so much.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
Gary Gilliam joining me, he's both with IMpower at the
Bridge and the Legion Legacy Foundation. I just think it's
amazing to hear these things. So I do this on
every show. I'm going to put you on the spot, okay,
and it's okay if you don't have an answer, But
I always tell the starfish story and It's a short
story slash poem that my mother used to read to
(25:43):
me when I was a child, And it's a short
story about a little girl who is on the beach
and it's after a storm and there's starfish, hundreds of
them just washed up on the beach and she's one
by one, she's like four or five, you know, putting
them back in the seat, growing them back in the sea.
And and you know, a different gentleman comes up, pece
(26:04):
older and says, what are you doing? That doesn't make
a difference, It doesn't matter. You're never going to save
them all. And she looks at him and flings another
one into the sea and says, it matters to that one.
And I'm wondering if you have your own starfish story
where you saw one impact that you made and it
kept you going.
Speaker 6 (26:25):
Man, you know what, I'm a flippant. I think I'm
one of those starfish.
Speaker 3 (26:29):
I love this first time ever, let's.
Speaker 4 (26:31):
Go unique opportunity.
Speaker 6 (26:34):
Growing up, I went to a private boarding school, not
your usual private boarding school with that, but one that
was actually for families below the poverty line, at risk families,
single parent homes, just kids that have gone through what
they call adverse childhood experiences, and I am one of
those kids.
Speaker 5 (26:49):
Right.
Speaker 6 (26:49):
Mom's single mom, live below the poverty line, just really
tough upbringing, but a very educated and talented young kid
in that way. So anyway, long story short, my mom
knew that if I stayed where we were at that
I may not develop into who she knew that I
could be. So she took me to this boarding school,
told me to go play on a playground, told me
(27:11):
she was going to come back, and did not come back.
Speaker 4 (27:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (27:14):
Turned story turns real, real aggressive, real quick. So that
was at eight years old. That true story. Mom moses
me like kick me in the river, was like, hey,
good luck, maybe you'll come back and save some folks
one day. Now, I will say, Mom and I have
a great relationship to this day. I was able to
see her. It wasn't like, oh I never saw my
mom again, but you know, holidays and breaks and things
like that.
Speaker 4 (27:33):
It was tough. I was at a boarding school, cass
Free boarding school.
Speaker 6 (27:36):
Anyway, all that to say this that that little girl
to me was actually that school, and that school was
funded by Hershey's chocolate. Right, It's called Milton Hershey's School.
So Milton Hershey and his wife couldn't have kids, so
they dedicated their life and the wealth of this company
to start this school. Beyond you know it being cost free, residential,
completely take care of everything for you. You graduate from
(27:57):
the school, they pay for college too. They provide you
a scholarship to go wherever it is that you got
accepted to.
Speaker 4 (28:03):
Right, so I'm.
Speaker 6 (28:03):
Growing up like, whoa, this is a phenomenal opportunity. And
again they I was the starfish that got tossed back
into the ocean. I'll say it more like, you know,
I love that. But mentality wise, we hear about crabs
in a barrel, you know, crabs and a barrel, Crabs
in a barrel, you know, urban centers especially, I would
say athletes are some of the crabs, if you will,
that get out of the barrel, oftentimes unfortunately find themselves
(28:26):
back in the barrel. But I like to change people's perspective, like,
let's not focus on the crabs in the barrel and
how they're grabbing each other, But why are the crabs
in the.
Speaker 4 (28:33):
Burrow in the first place?
Speaker 6 (28:36):
Where'd the system come from that they're supposed to be
in the ocean. Yeah, right, So in that manner like
Milton Hershey's school kind of in a similar fashion, Right
destroyed that barrel and tossed me into the ocean. So
by the time that I got to the NFL, I
was ready to go build a ladder. Right, I was
ready to go smash a bunch of other barrels. I
was ready to go, you know, throw a bunch of
(28:56):
other starfish, because again, I was one of the starfish
that was given a chance by a company and a corporation,
you know, which is interesting enough. So if you don't
know about Milton Hershey School, go check it out. Hershey, Pennsylvania,
the sweetest place on earth.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
That is a fascinating story that I've never heard before.
I didn't know about that school before this. Thank you
so much for sharing that. And we're gonna have to
follow up. I'm gonna have to have you back on
the show in the future. Okay, good, because this is phenomenal.
I've never had the script left on me before, so
I like that too. But it's great to just know
(29:30):
that you have the wherewithal the strength and the inspiration
to get out. Okay, you saw opportunity and you saw
it through, and so Gary, thank you so much. You've
been one of my favorite guests. Don't tell Doug that
I told you that, or Cliff.
Speaker 4 (29:47):
I thank you, thank you.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
Thank you for listening to Seattle Voice. My name is Jesson,
then MacIntyre and if you want your voice heard, email
me at Seattle Voice at iHeartMedia dot com.
Speaker 3 (29:58):
Picture it,
Welcome into Seattle Voice, your community voice presented by iHeartRadio
here in Seattle. I'm Jessinman McIntyre, your host, and I'm
pleased to be joined again by doctor Janpotu, who is
the medical director of Infectious Disease and Outbreak Response with
optim Washington. Doctor, thank you again for joining me.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
It's great being here.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Thank you well.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
We appreciate your time and your knowledge and your insight
on what's going on. As many people know, this is
a heavy travel season and a heavy gathering season as
we move beyond Thanksgiving and head into Christmas, there's a
lot going on. I think the first two things that
people think of as they're masking up and trying to
protect themselves from any sort of infection is influenza, the
(00:44):
flu and COVID because those are the most common things
that are talked about in the media. I wanted to
get your take and your information on how those levels
are in our area right now.
Speaker 4 (00:55):
So in the.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Puture Sound area, we have very low levels of COVID
going on now. The COVID levels have been declining for
the last three months or so, so that's the good news.
The amount of influenza is slowly rising. We're still in
the early part of the influenza season, so now's the
time to get your fluid shot and to get your
(01:16):
COVID shot if you have not had one since let's
say September of this year.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Okay, that is very good advice. Thank you very much
for that. They make it so convenient at least where
I live. I am in the Edmund's area in Washington here,
so just north of Seattle, and I feel like I
go to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription and
there's just hey, do you want a flu shot?
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Too?
Speaker 3 (01:38):
And I think that that can help absolutely.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
So everyone six months of age and older should get
a flu shot, especially those who at highest risk of
having complications of flu, and that would include everyone over
the age of sixty five. Youngsters between six months and
kindergarten because they have high rates of complications, just like
in the fifty and above range, and also they're much
(02:03):
more likely to come down with the flu because they're
in preschool in kindergarten.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Well why is that? Why are they more vulnerable.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Because they've never been exposed to the flu before, and
so they don't have any natural immunity, They don't have
any memory of being previously infected, and their immune system
is not geared toward it. And we also know that
kids congregate in school and one kid comes in sick
and all of a sudden, two or three days later,
everybody in the classroom is sick. So getting your kid
(02:33):
protected with immunization is the smart thing to do, and
it's the safe thing to do for your kids.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Well, that's great again, this is doctor yon Potu joining
me from Optum Health. And I wanted to kind of
go back to COVID because that's the red flag that
everyone draws, right and we went through it all from
twenty twenty till now and it is still around. I'm
really happy to hear that the levels are low, and
I'm wondering what you think the cause of that is.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
It's just the seasonal cycle, and so we know that
influenza goes up every winter, and we're about at the
start of influence the season right now. We also know
that COVID for the last three years has cycled twice,
once in the summer and once in the winter, and
so right now we're just kind of at the low tide,
and I expect the amount of COVID to go up
(03:19):
later after the first of the year, as it has
in the last three years.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Yeah, and that.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Is right after people have been traveling and right after
people have been gathering.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
So that makes a lot of sense.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
What recommendations would you give for people, aside from vaccination
to protect themselves from COVID.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
So the first thing is everyone should get vaccinated for
influence and the flu. That is qualified and especially if
you have chronic medical conditions are older. And the second
thing is that when you're traveling, especially in the airports
where there's big crowds, is to wear a mask and
wash your hands. So masking and crowded condition is certainly a.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
Thing that I do.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Every time I go into the airport, I put a
mask on and I leave the mask on throughout my travels.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
That's good advice.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
Yeah again, doctor Janpocho joining me here Seattle Voice, your
community voice here presented by iHeartRadio in Seattle. And I
know that that was some good news, but we are
in some cycles. Let's talk about the concerns Avian flu
is making headlines once again.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Where are we right now?
Speaker 2 (04:27):
So Avian flu is the influenza virus that affects birds
and that's why we call it avian influenza. We've been
under a worldwide avian flu pandemic for many years and
especially since twenty twenty two. This has caused a huge
die off of a lot of birds in the Pacific Flyway.
(04:51):
So it's the equivalent of an airport for birds is
the Washington, Alaska, Oregon, California coastline where they migrate in
the spring and now migrate in the winter. And we
have seen this virus transfer over or spill over to
cattle and certain dairy cottles, and several states have become
(05:13):
infected with avian influenza as well as into commercial poultry
operations as well as into backyard flocks. So avian influenza
can certainly kill birds wild birds, it can get into
commercial flocks and kill turkeys and broilers and egg laying
hens as well as cattle and other animals.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
And what kind of threat does that post to people?
Speaker 2 (05:38):
So there have been about seventy two cases of avian
influenza that have been documented in people, and there have
been two deaths due to avian influenza and people, one
in Washington State about a week and a half ago
and one in Louisiana earlier this year. Both the cases
resulted from spillover infections of handling birds or being around
(06:03):
sick animals and into a vulnerable person who had other
chronic underlying diseases.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
And for those who I mean, obviously it's spreadable animal
to human. What can people do when it comes to
avian flu to protect themselves?
Speaker 2 (06:20):
But first of all, there is no avian flu that
is spreading from person to person. We don't have avian
flu spreading from person to person. We have seasonal flu
or seasonal influenza, which we see every year. But avian
flu is a new type of flu that if it
got into humans and was spreading for humans to human
would potentially cause the next pandemic. That is the concern
(06:42):
that we have.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Interesting what is going on.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
What is going on is that avian flu now instead
of just being confined to birds, is now affecting mammals.
It is now in the feel population, causing die offs
of of elephants, seals, and other seals. It's gotten into
other types of mammals including cows and cats and has
(07:10):
caused massive die offs in these populations. When it spreads
to these animals that don't have any immunity.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
How does that happen? And you might not be able
to provide this answer. I'm just genuinely curious. Does the
virus mutate to be able to find a new host
when it comes from bird to mammal?
Speaker 2 (07:28):
So all new diseases, almost all new diseases come from
what we call crossover or spillover infections. So if we
think about the new coronavirus or several we have seasonal
coronaviruses like seasonal flute. But what happened in late nineteen
(07:51):
ninety nine and two thousand was a spillover into humans
from the animal world of this new virus that humans
did not have any immunity to, and the virus had
been mutated enough to spread from human to human. We
have seen this with other coronaviruses like mirors Middle Eastern
(08:13):
coronavirus previously, as well as STARS one in early two
thousands and so this is not an unusual occurrence for
humans to come in contact intimate contact, close contact with
animals and then pick up an animal virus, and if
the animal virus is mutated enough to spread from human
(08:35):
to human, it can cause diseases such as.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Ebola, well, we have to be careful, like you said,
mask up and wash your hands, whether or not you
are handling animals. I assume that everybody should just be
doing this to protect themselves from everything out there.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
So the first thing is to once again be vaccinated
against the diseases that you can prevent, such as influence
than COVID and measles or MMR. The second thing is
that don't handle dead or sick animals. And if you
see a dead bird, whether it's a wild bird or
a backyard poultry that you keep as pets as being dead,
(09:16):
don't handle that. And if you're much better off calling
the health department and say what do I do with
this dead bird, as opposed to trying to clean it
up yourself. If you do handle dead birds, to make
sure that you wear a respirator in ninety five masks,
goggles and gloves at a minimum, then not to bring
(09:37):
it into your house, not to bring it into your car.
And this applies not only to birds that are sick,
but also mammals like seals and things that you might
find on the beach, because you just don't want to
get any of these potentially very seriously serious diseases.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Yes, absolutely again doctor Janpotu joining me here. He is
the medical director of Infectious Diseases and Outbreak Response with
optim Washington. And I know that the last time that
we talked, we were focusing on measles.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
Where are we with that disease right now?
Speaker 2 (10:10):
So, unfortunately, the United States continues to experience a very
large measles outbreak. We are now over seventeen hundred cases
that have been confirmed in the United States. It's very
like and the same thing is going on in Canada
with over five thousand confirmed cases and in Mexico, Mexico loss.
There are measles elimination status a couple of weeks ago,
(10:33):
and I anticipate that the United States will lose its
measles status measles free status because we have had ongoing
transmission now since the beginning of the year, will probably
lose that after the first year. Well, that's Measles is
a very important it is a very important disease that
we can prevent with MMR vaccinations, and all children should
(10:58):
get their first MMR vaccine at twelve to fifteen months
and then again prior to enter in kindergarten.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Absolutely, what advice would you give. Outside of vaccinations, which
we have touched on quite a bit of how important
they are, advice to parents because sometimes if a kid
wakes up and isn't just feeling that great, maybe you
send them to school and you're willing to pick them
up if they nurse calls or something. But what advice
would you give to parents around this time?
Speaker 2 (11:23):
So, first of all, anybody, whether it's a kid or
an adult, who has a fever should not be going
to work, because that's when you are the most contagious,
and regardless of the virus or the illness that you
have that's giving you fevers, you're likely contagious to others.
The second thing is that if you have any kind
of difficulty breathing or confusion or not being responsive, you
(11:49):
probably need to be evaluated that day. And the third
thing is obviously if you're having chest pain or difficulty breathing,
that's a nine to one to one type emergency where
you need to be seen within the hour. Any fever
in an individual lasting for more than four days also
needs to be evaluated. So let's say that you come
down with influenza. It's not unusual to have fevers for
(12:11):
two to three days, but after four days, you really
should be seen in the clinic.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
Thank you for that.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
I mean, I travel, you know, every single weekend for
college football, and I see a lot of people masking
up these days, and I know it was a mandate
for a long time and it no longer is for travel. However,
I do see a lot of people protecting themselves and
I take that as a good sign.
Speaker 4 (12:34):
I agree.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
Wonderful doctor. Thank you so much for your time today.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
I really appreciate it, and I hope for everyone out
there you all keep your loved ones safe and do
everything that you can in your power to do so,
and listen to this advice.
Speaker 3 (12:48):
Doctor. Thank you again.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
Have a great day you too.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
It's always nice to get perspective from doctors around this
time of year. But I'm going to shift years.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
As you know.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
Last week I let you know about a Toys for
TI hots event that was happening this past Tuesday, and
it took place down in Redmond, and we know that
several Seahawks participated as well. But I had the pleasure
of catching up with Mayor Bernie you're mayor of Redmond, Washington,
who showed up to the event and I think that
you should listen to why she had to be there. Well,
(13:19):
and now we're coming to you live from the event here,
and the Mayor of Redmond herself is here. Mayor Bernie,
thank you so much for spending a couple of minutes
to talk about not only this event, but your presence here.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
What drew you to show up today?
Speaker 5 (13:31):
Well, I think that this is such a great organization,
does so many good things for the community. I think
when we can make time in our schedule to share
the joy, that's what I do. So here I am
in Redmond today to celebrate with all of these wonderful
community members.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
Well, I love it so much.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
This isn't my first time down here in this specific location,
and so I think redmand may be thought of as
off the beaten path as.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
A lot of places.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
So what does it mean to have a community event
held in your city?
Speaker 5 (13:59):
I think it's fantastic. I mean, I think it's just
so unexpected community members coming in and seeing you know,
former football players sharing in the joy of the season,
I think is fantastic. And I think Redmond is such
a fantastic place to be that I think it's great
that they picked this spot to share with this great event.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
I would completely agree.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
And I was looking over some of the silent auction
items here.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
These are no joke situations.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
We've got Julio Rodriguez sign Jersey, JSN Sign Jersey. There's
a lot going on here, and just seeing the kind
of outpouring of just the donations must mean a lot
to see.
Speaker 5 (14:34):
Yeah, I think there's so much to see here. And
you know, once again, this is such a great opportunity
for the community to come out and show their support
for people who really need a little cheer over the holidays.
And I think those oh man, I see a Darnald jersey.
I mean, and oh my gosh, you know, all of
the things that are up here for auction are really
a great opportunity for people to get a little something
(14:56):
special in their holiday and give a little something spect
people who really need it.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
And one of the things that I've talked about on
my show is that it's not just you know, the
people getting these who can afford these items and things,
but the donations that are going on Toys for tots.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
It's always nice for a.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
Child to open a present, but for the parents to
be able to give the gifts to their child and
not have to let them know it came from somewhere else.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
I feel like that means something too.
Speaker 5 (15:22):
Yeah. Absolutely, I mean I think that I've been very
fortunate in my life that I've been able to be
that parent, to be able to find things for my
kids and give it to them. But I also know
there's many in our communities that are struggling, and so
just to have that little bit of cheer and be
able to find that special gift for their kid and
be able to give it to them just will make
(15:43):
their holiday even more special.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Well, thank you so much for your time, your presence
is obviously really special. To be here today, and I
was driving through the Redmond Town Center.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
It is gorgeous.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
I love it people, it is not it Well, it's
pretty populated. I shouldn't say it's a hidden gem or anything,
but for those who are more on the west side
get over to Redman.
Speaker 3 (16:03):
It's pretty awesome.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (16:04):
Absolutely, And we have pretty soon the light rail will
be going over the bridge. It'll be a lot easier
to come shop and experience Redmond for all it is.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
Merry Christmas.
Speaker 5 (16:14):
Merry Christmas.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
Well, it was great to see the mayor there at
the Toys for Tots drive at BJ's and Redmond and
another person who I saw there as well, Gary Gilliam.
And I'm sure all the Seahawks faithful Seattle faithful out
here remember him for not only being a huge part
of the Seahawks NFC championship team and the team that
(16:38):
went to back to back Super Bowls, but for that
crazy play that he made that spark to come back
in that NFC Championship game, a touchdown catch from John
Ryan punter John Ryan. Gary Gilliam is here with me, Gary,
thank you so much already.
Speaker 4 (16:55):
Yeah, absolutely, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
Obviously I like to relive those moments, but we're here
to talk talk about what you're doing in the communities,
and I had the pleasure again of seeing you at
that event. But you have a lot of other things
going on. Let's talk about Empower at the Bridge, your
role there and what the organization does here in the communities.
Speaker 4 (17:15):
Yeah, absolutely so.
Speaker 6 (17:16):
Empower at the Bridge Foundation is actually the foundation that
works alongside my development company and our development company we
convert old schools, mall shopping centers into community centers, affordable housing, entertainment,
education spaces, and we call those eco villages, so the
companies called the Bridge Eco Village, and then our foundation
(17:37):
we go into communities not just to build these spaces,
but also educate folks on how to use those spaces,
how to start businesses, how to farm, how to go
acquire real estate, and we teach them trades as well.
You know, so kind of these resilience hubs one stop
shop and inspired by where I grew up in Hershey, Pennsylvania,
(17:58):
and then wanted to replicate you know what I have
got a chance to experience. And I always say, if
you have a complaint, you have a career. So that's
what I'm doing.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Now, that's a really good phrase again. Gary Gilliam joining me,
Seattle Voice Jasaman mcinti.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
Here.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
This is presented by iHeartRadio here in Seattle. If you
want your voice heard, email Seattle Voice at iHeartMedia dot com. Now,
you like you said, you're from Hershey, Pennsylvania. What drew
you to Seattle to stay here in your post career?
Speaker 6 (18:26):
I know when I first came out here, it was
like mid to late May, so it was beautiful. I
was surprised, oddly enough, by how much water was here,
how green it was, how clean the air was.
Speaker 4 (18:37):
But beyond you know, the environmental things that I loved.
Speaker 6 (18:40):
Other people, you know, the people, the twelves, you know,
even beyond those who are interested in football, just to
vibe out here, you know, innovation, progression. They care about folks,
you know. So not to say they don't in Pennsylvania.
But I enjoyed it out here, and it definitely has
turned into my home. I've been here for twelve years now,
which is longer than I lived anywhere else, you know,
So I would definitely say that this is home for me.
Speaker 4 (19:03):
Environment but definitely the people. That's what lock me in.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
I hear you on that again, Gary Gillium joining me here.
And I moved out here in two thousand and nine,
and it was a career move. I was young, ambitious,
threw all my stuff in a car. I was working
at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut, and I said, I
want to try it. Okay, I'll be here for three
to five years. So sixteen years later, this is my
home now, and it's almost the longest I've ever lived anywhere,
(19:29):
because I grew up in New York, but I left
there at eighteen and you know, for college and then
my career and I obviously miss it, but I hear
you on that.
Speaker 3 (19:40):
How long did you say again?
Speaker 1 (19:42):
Twelve years? Well, how appropriate for that, Gary Gilliam. You
are also a part of the Legion Legacy Foundation. Can
you educate us a little bit on who they are
and what they do?
Speaker 4 (19:54):
Yeah? For sure.
Speaker 6 (19:55):
So you know, off the back of the Legion of Boom,
the iconic defense that we had during my time in Seattle,
Richard and Cam started a restaurant.
Speaker 4 (20:05):
Right over in Bellevue.
Speaker 6 (20:06):
I think there's a few locations around as well. And Cam,
you know, he he observes actually a lot of guys
that I played with, they see a lot of the
work that I do in the community. So Cam and I,
you know, just kind of got the talk in and
I was expressing interest in, you know, doing more out
here in the Pacific Northwest, and he said that he
wanted to as well. You know that he already does
some stuff, but wants to kind of put a little
bit more structure around it.
Speaker 4 (20:27):
So I was like, you know what, you know, well
maybe we can work together on that.
Speaker 6 (20:31):
So, you know, born was the Legion Legacy Foundation looking
to bring in you know, just kind of our former
Seattle Seahawks for sure, but athletes in general.
Speaker 4 (20:39):
We want to have legacy beyond the game.
Speaker 6 (20:41):
Uh you know, to us, NFL stands for not for long,
but you know, even beyond yeah.
Speaker 4 (20:48):
But beyond that.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
Right.
Speaker 6 (20:49):
We had some successful cats that that we played with
a lot of our former teammates, you know, so they
invest in their communities, you know, So we want to
find a way to be able to do that together,
to maximize our impact together, utilize our social capital together,
you know, certainly off the side of the restaurant, a
focus on food security, a focus on youth sports, fellowship,
(21:09):
just you know, bringing folks together, providing resources and opportunities
for those who don't oftentimes get them. So that's the
Lesion Legacy Foundation. I guess you could call me the
executive director of it. And you know Cam is on
the board and the rest of the guys. So this
is kind of, I guess one of our first public
facing events, this this toy drive that we're doing. But
(21:29):
we have done some internal things assisting some families were
getting some resources, some food, some coach, some some things
that they need, you know, throughout the holiday season here
and as it's continued to get colder, so we're excited.
Speaker 4 (21:41):
To keep working.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
Well, I love it and your passion and the fact
that you guys all came together and nobody really from
that team well I mean, I don't want to say nobody,
but almost no one.
Speaker 3 (21:52):
From that team is from this area.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
And seeing you former teammates get together to improve here,
make their home here is just something that I don't
think And I haven't been in a lot of local
NFL spots, but I've never seen anything like it. What
do you think it is about the unity of that
team that allows you guys to collaborate so well yeah.
Speaker 6 (22:15):
Well, well beyond knowing how to win together and work
together and know our roles and execute. Honestly, this may
be a question just for sports buffs out there, or
maybe not, maybe a deeper case study to be done,
but there's got to be some type of correlation to
those former NFL players on any team who stick around
that team if they want a championship with that team. Interesting,
(22:38):
because I yeah, like there's God, there's got to be
some type of correlation to it, because you know, like
Seattle is not necessarily like a destination spot that most
folks are going to go after they finished playing, right,
But there's there beyond you know, we want a championship together.
You know, there's a bunch of us out here, but
there's also other Seattle you know, former Seattle Seahawks that
are still here too. So maybe there's not a correlation.
(22:58):
I have no idea, but maybe there is so something
to be researched. But again, beyond that, again, we want
a lot of games together, been through some things together,
ups and downs, and then beyond that our lives off
the field, right, you know, our wives, our children, you know,
whether it was when we were planned or when we
finished playing, continued to keep those relationships thriving, right, so
the family just kept growing, you know, we continue to
(23:20):
find ways to activate together. You know, Cam comes over
my house, you know, with his wife and his kids
for Halloween. Right, We'll walk around neighborhood and go trigger treating.
Speaker 4 (23:28):
You know.
Speaker 6 (23:28):
So like just finding ways that we can do things
together I think is important, you know, not just for
our communities, but definitely for our families too.
Speaker 3 (23:36):
I love hearing those stories. Gary Gilliam joining me here.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
Jessman McIntyre, your host of Seattle Voice, presented by iHeartRadio
here in Seattle.
Speaker 3 (23:43):
What do you think is next?
Speaker 1 (23:44):
Because it sounds like you're you've got your hands in everything,
You've got your family here, and what do you think
would be the next building block for all the efforts
you're making.
Speaker 6 (23:55):
Yeah, well, I love to create you know, these bridges
that we create eco eco villages.
Speaker 4 (24:00):
Right.
Speaker 6 (24:00):
So we are in the process over the next twelve
to eighteen months identifying some land or you know, an
old school or a shopping center or an old office building,
right to find a building where we can create one
of those out here.
Speaker 4 (24:14):
And you know a bunch.
Speaker 6 (24:15):
Of my buddies, Cam Dug Cliff right there doing things
in real estate, very much excited and interested, knowing that
I that I have shifted my focus out here to
the Pacific Northwest, so certainly on the bigger infrastructure side
of things, we want to get some things in that
world done.
Speaker 4 (24:29):
But we're also building gardens right.
Speaker 6 (24:31):
Actually I wrote a children's book called The Bleacher Garden,
which is a story about how we converted an old
football field in my hometown into a farm. But it actually,
in real life spurred a national movement. And we're building gardens,
you know, all around the Nation, and we have a
few out here in Washington. So you know, folks have
land that they're like, man, I would love to have
a community garden there, whether they you know, if they
(24:51):
own it or they know, hey, maybe just take a
look at this lot or something, you know, reach out
to us to the foundation, find me on Instagram. Right.
I'm always looking to build farms and things. So that's
what we're doing, just taking it kind of one day
at a time, finding opportunities where most people don't find
them or don't see them, and then bringing together teams
to execute on great programs, you know, change policies, advocative
(25:12):
need you know, if we need to so all the
things that need to be done while we have the energy,
the social capital, and the means to get it done,
you know.
Speaker 4 (25:20):
So I'm excited about it.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
I love it so much.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
Gary Gilliam joining me, he's both with IMpower at the
Bridge and the Legion Legacy Foundation. I just think it's
amazing to hear these things. So I do this on
every show. I'm going to put you on the spot, okay,
and it's okay if you don't have an answer, But
I always tell the starfish story and It's a short
story slash poem that my mother used to read to
(25:43):
me when I was a child, And it's a short
story about a little girl who is on the beach
and it's after a storm and there's starfish, hundreds of
them just washed up on the beach and she's one
by one, she's like four or five, you know, putting
them back in the seat, growing them back in the sea.
And and you know, a different gentleman comes up, pece
(26:04):
older and says, what are you doing? That doesn't make
a difference, It doesn't matter. You're never going to save
them all. And she looks at him and flings another
one into the sea and says, it matters to that one.
And I'm wondering if you have your own starfish story
where you saw one impact that you made and it
kept you going.
Speaker 6 (26:25):
Man, you know what, I'm a flippant. I think I'm
one of those starfish.
Speaker 3 (26:29):
I love this first time ever, let's.
Speaker 4 (26:31):
Go unique opportunity.
Speaker 6 (26:34):
Growing up, I went to a private boarding school, not
your usual private boarding school with that, but one that
was actually for families below the poverty line, at risk families,
single parent homes, just kids that have gone through what
they call adverse childhood experiences, and I am one of
those kids.
Speaker 5 (26:49):
Right.
Speaker 6 (26:49):
Mom's single mom, live below the poverty line, just really
tough upbringing, but a very educated and talented young kid
in that way. So anyway, long story short, my mom
knew that if I stayed where we were at that
I may not develop into who she knew that I
could be. So she took me to this boarding school,
told me to go play on a playground, told me
(27:11):
she was going to come back, and did not come back.
Speaker 4 (27:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (27:14):
Turned story turns real, real aggressive, real quick. So that
was at eight years old. That true story. Mom moses
me like kick me in the river, was like, hey,
good luck, maybe you'll come back and save some folks
one day. Now, I will say, Mom and I have
a great relationship to this day. I was able to
see her. It wasn't like, oh I never saw my
mom again, but you know, holidays and breaks and things
like that.
Speaker 4 (27:33):
It was tough. I was at a boarding school, cass
Free boarding school.
Speaker 6 (27:36):
Anyway, all that to say this that that little girl
to me was actually that school, and that school was
funded by Hershey's chocolate. Right, It's called Milton Hershey's School.
So Milton Hershey and his wife couldn't have kids, so
they dedicated their life and the wealth of this company
to start this school. Beyond you know it being cost free, residential,
completely take care of everything for you. You graduate from
(27:57):
the school, they pay for college too. They provide you
a scholarship to go wherever it is that you got
accepted to.
Speaker 4 (28:03):
Right, so I'm.
Speaker 6 (28:03):
Growing up like, whoa, this is a phenomenal opportunity. And
again they I was the starfish that got tossed back
into the ocean. I'll say it more like, you know,
I love that. But mentality wise, we hear about crabs
in a barrel, you know, crabs and a barrel, Crabs
in a barrel, you know, urban centers especially, I would
say athletes are some of the crabs, if you will,
that get out of the barrel, oftentimes unfortunately find themselves
(28:26):
back in the barrel. But I like to change people's perspective, like,
let's not focus on the crabs in the barrel and
how they're grabbing each other, But why are the crabs
in the.
Speaker 4 (28:33):
Burrow in the first place?
Speaker 6 (28:36):
Where'd the system come from that they're supposed to be
in the ocean. Yeah, right, So in that manner like
Milton Hershey's school kind of in a similar fashion, Right
destroyed that barrel and tossed me into the ocean. So
by the time that I got to the NFL, I
was ready to go build a ladder. Right, I was
ready to go smash a bunch of other barrels. I
was ready to go, you know, throw a bunch of
(28:56):
other starfish, because again, I was one of the starfish
that was given a chance by a company and a corporation,
you know, which is interesting enough. So if you don't
know about Milton Hershey School, go check it out. Hershey, Pennsylvania,
the sweetest place on earth.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
That is a fascinating story that I've never heard before.
I didn't know about that school before this. Thank you
so much for sharing that. And we're gonna have to
follow up. I'm gonna have to have you back on
the show in the future. Okay, good, because this is phenomenal.
I've never had the script left on me before, so
I like that too. But it's great to just know
(29:30):
that you have the wherewithal the strength and the inspiration
to get out. Okay, you saw opportunity and you saw
it through, and so Gary, thank you so much. You've
been one of my favorite guests. Don't tell Doug that
I told you that, or Cliff.
Speaker 4 (29:47):
I thank you, thank you.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
Thank you for listening to Seattle Voice. My name is Jesson,
then MacIntyre and if you want your voice heard, email
me at Seattle Voice at iHeartMedia dot com.
Speaker 3 (29:58):
Picture it,
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