Jerry Jones puts his money where his heart is through philanthropy

Michael Gibbons’ introduction to Jerry Jones came following a Dallas Cowboys home game earlier this season. Gibbons admittedly was not a Cowboys fan. But Jones holds police officers and anyone from his hometown of North Little Rock close to his heart, and Gibbons is both.

So the two sat and talked like old friends for 30 minutes.

“He made me feel like I was somebody, and not somebody he had to talk to,” Gibbons said. “He’s the owner of the Cowboys; I’m really nobody.”

When their conversation ended, Jones invited every officer in the North Little Rock Police Department to a game. Gibbons never expected to hear from Jones again.

Everyone knows “Jerry Jones the owner,” “Jerry Jones the businessman,” “Jerry Jones the general manager,” “Jerry Jones the showman.”

By design, few outside The Star know “Jerry Jones the philanthropist.”

“What so many people don’t realize is what a soft spot Dad has for people who dedicate their lives with helping other people,” said Charlotte Jones Anderson, an executive vice president and the chief brand officer for the Cowboys. “When he first got involved with the Cowboys, Dad said, ‘If they’re as interested in what we do off the field as they are with what we do on the field, then we have an opportunity to use all of that visibility and interest that’s around us to make a significant impact beyond the game.’ ”

Jones quietly puts his money where his heart is.

He supported women’s shelters in Arkansas for years before buying the Cowboys, raising both money and awareness for abused women. Texas high school football, the local arts community and many others have benefited from Jones’ generosity, too.

This marks the 20th year the Jones family has dedicated the Thanksgiving Day halftime performance to The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign. The Cowboys’ efforts have helped The Salvation Army raise $2.1 billion and assist more than 500 million in need.

David Jeffrey, the national commander of The Salvation Army, said the Red Kettle Campaign received $150 million in contributions last year. Jeffrey credits “the influence of the Cowboys” for the raised visibility of The Salvation Army’s fundraising efforts.

Jones wears his heart on his lapel, with a Salvation Army pin in addition to a star pin. When the Cowboys didn’t initially sell the naming rights of their $1.2 billion stadium in Arlington, Jones suggested temporarily calling it The Salvation Army Stadium.

“One thing about Mr. Jones is his ability to understand that it’s so much bigger than the game,” Cowboys tight end Jason Witten said. “That’s the greatest thing he’s done as an owner in a lot of ways.”

Gibbons, while in Dallas for a homicide conference, attended the Cowboys’ Oct. 9 game against the Cincinnati Bengals at the invitation of a friend who works for the Cowboys. It led to a visit to Jones’ suite afterward, followed by a phone call the next day.

“Mr. Jones loves you guys and knows you’re going through a lot of things. We need to work out the details to get your officers to a game.”

“We thought it was a joke,” said Lt. Patrick Thessing, a 22-year veteran of the NLRPD. “Gibbons likes to play around, and we thought it was just more of his shenanigans.”

Gibbons called the Cowboys back to ask if the officers could buy tickets for their families in the same section. Gibbons was told he didn’t understand: Jones was paying all expenses for the officers and their families. Flights, ground transportation, one night hotel, tickets, pregame sideline passes and a jersey.

“We have seven children,” said Wendy Desizlets, whose husband, John, has served in the department for 23 years. “This is just so awesome. We love Mr. Jones.”

The group, 75 strong, gathered on the field for a photo with Jones before Sunday’s victory over the Baltimore Ravens. While they carried two handmade signs thanking Jones for his generosity, Jones, in return, thanked the officers not only for their service but also for coming.

“The area I grew up in is a disadvantaged area in the greater Little Rock area,” Jones, 74, said. “Even as far back as then, the police were great with kids. I started playing baseball in a police-sponsored North Little Rock league. So I’ve always had a great respect and affinity for the officers in the town I grew up in.”

The North Little Rock City Council passed a resolution accepting the gift, and the Fraternal Order of Police will send 126 of its 178 officers to AT&T Stadium for a Cowboys game this season, including a group of 30 Thanksgiving Day when Dallas takes on Washington.

A Cowboys spokesman said Jones doesn’t look at costs “for people and causes that matter and doesn’t discuss them.”

Gibbons, 43, never expected to wear a Cowboys jersey or decorate his Christmas tree in Cowboys ornaments. But Jones has turned his hometown of 66,000 into Jerry Jones fans.

“I know there are cynics out there,” Gibbons said. “I was one of those people before meeting him and talking to him, I’ll tell you that. ‘He owns the Cowboys; he’s a billionaire; everything’s bigger in Texas.’ No. No. That’s not him. He changed my mind.”

Staff writer Clarence Hill contributed to this report.

This story was originally published November 23, 2016 at 4:38 PM with the headline "Jerry Jones puts his money where his heart is through philanthropy."