Dale Jackson’s love for Auburn University spans decades.
As a youngster, the LaGrange, Georgia native would spend afternoon’s tossing around the pigskin on Auburn’s campus before jetting to Jordan-Hare Stadium to watch the Tigers battle on the gridiron.
It’s a memory Jackson cherishes.
“I wanted to be in the action,” recalled Jackson. “I was crazy. I wore an orange wig, screamed my head off. I was an insane fan.”
But when his son Colin, now 16, was born and diagnosed with autism, Dale wasn’t sure going to Auburn football games was something he’d be able to pass down to the next generation. That is, until the father of five and owner of Jackson (HVAC) Services came up with an idea of providing those with special needs a cool spot to call home before kickoff.
Driven by Jackson and his family’s passion to provide a helpful resource for those with special needs, SNASY was introduced in 2023 in partnership with Jackson Services and Carrier, official partners of Auburn Athletics. SNASY is an acronym that stands for Special Needs Assistance Stations For You. SNASY provides comfortable and inclusive climate-controlled tailgates and tents with privacy areas at all Auburn home football games.
Along with a helping hand from Auburn College of Nursing, East Alabama Health, a handful of sponsors, and Auburn Basketball Coach Bruce Pearl, SNASY’s concept has caught on. This year, the organization is giving countless families a chance to experience gameday like they never thought possible.
But the mission is bigger than just a game.
“It’s not about a football game,” said Jackson. “It’s about bringing forth knowledge, exposure, understanding, and access back to families. We’re using this platform to really change lives.”
It’s a great example of the Auburn Creed in action.
Take a listen as Jackson tells Everything Auburn’s co-hosts Carter Gustin and Dalton Odom the touching story of how his son inspired the start of SNASY, plus learn about SNASY’s mission to take the concept across the SEC and beyond.
If you’d like to sign up for a SNASY gameday experience or volunteer for the organization, please visit https://snasy.vip/.
Check out our "Everything Auburn" Podcast website here!
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