Warren Jones honored for his lifetime of charitable work

ASHLAND — A man who has helped so many through the years was nearly left speechless, which is uncommon for him.

Warren Jones was humbled, to say the least, when he was honored just before the Wendy's Golf Classic celebrity outing teed off for its 20th anniversary Friday at the Ashland Golf Club.

Jones, who helps direct the Classic along with Zane Gross of Wenco and Kip Matteson, never saw the honor coming.

“It’s just a great feeling,” Jones said after Ashland Mayor Matt Miller read a proclamation honoring him for his lifetime of work, which includes raising more than $1 million for various charities. “I can’t believe it. I don’t do stuff like this for recognition. I’m not for that. I’m just one to be able to give back, and I thank the good Lord for being able to bless me to give back.”

“He’s sweet, and he’s caring about other kids,” said Jones’ granddaughter Wynn Eversole, who was on hand for the event with her mother and father.

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Gross and Matteson talked about honoring Jones for some time leading up to the Classic.

"Kip and I got talking a few months back about it being our 20th year, and Warren does so much for the community, so much for Team Focus, and just so much stuff behind the scenes," Gross said. "And he's a guy who's very humble. He never ever wants to be out in the limelight. He just has a heart for giving, so we just tried to come up with an idea of how we can honor Warren this year in the 20th year of the outing, understanding it started out as Matt Underwood's golf outing to raise money for his cause.

"Warren's been there all of the years, and then you look at all the other things he does in the community and is just very quiet about it. We threw out a couple of ideas of how to honor him, and we came up with getting the mayor to recognize him and make a proclamation for Warren, and we want to make one of the holes out there every year as the Warren ‘Jam’ Jones hole."

Gross said Miller was all in.

"He said absolutely I'll do that, and we gave him a couple of things to talk about that Warren has been involved in over the years," Gross said. "He's putting that in the proclamation."

Jones is the USA Softball state commissioner

Matteson has known Jones for 35-plus years, early on through fastpitch softball. Jones is the USA Softball state commissioner.

"He goes unnoticed, not just in softball but the other charities he's involved in and the people he helps," Matteson said. "He's one of the most humble guys I've ever known. He does not like the spotlight, yet the spotlight is always shining on him because of his willingness to give to others.

And I know his parents would be extremely proud of him."

Matteson said everywhere he goes, Jones always tells the story of the world being so small.

"He'd say, 'I'll be in Tulsa, Oklahoma and somebody will know somebody in Ashland, Ohio,’" Matteson said. "He says, ‘It just goes to show you Ashland's just not a small little town in the Midwest. We're known all over the country, maybe all over the world.’ I think Warren, along with softball, and other things this community's done, speaks volumes.

“He's not just a likable guy. He's unforgettable, too."

Volunteers, particularly Jones, make Wendy's Golf Classic successful

The Wendy's Golf Classic also couldn't have become the success it has without the help of the many volunteers who make the tournament run smoothly.

Gross said the event relies on many hands to make it work.

"Good friends Kip and Warren are very integral, the three of us working together to produce this outing each and every year," Gross said. "We added another board member this year, Dave Grant, who's a golf buddy of mine and Kip's, and he's a vice president out at Farmers State Bank. And my partner Chad Donelson."

Gross said he also gets major contributions from his office staff members before, during and after the Classic.

"The gals within our office, Cindi Mathys, Heather Motter, Betsy Griffith, Cindi Petroff, they do a lot of stuff behind the scenes, contacting different businesses about donations for the auction and things like that," Gross said. "They're just tireless in reaching out and talking to people to get things we can auction off, so they're just tremendous."

Mike Fallon is one of the many volunteers who took part in the event, saying it’s all because of Jones.

“He’s a guy who’s quick with a joke but quicker to help out, so anytime he says he might need something, I’m there for him, and he’s done so much for this community,” he said. “If he needs anything, he knows I’ll help. The company I work for, Charles River, is a big supporter of adoption. We even give parental leave for people that adopt. I’ve always enjoyed helping kids out, and these are two great organizations that do that.”

The Wendy's Golf Classic has raised more than $300,000 heading into this year's event.

And it continues to flourish because of people like Jones and countless others who volunteer their time and services.

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Warren Jones honored for all of his charitable work