MitchMash: McDonald's All-Americans see big picture before big show

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The McDonald’s All-Americans are all back home now, being asked about the wall-to-wall superhero displays of strength, agility and 360-degree jams.

Who had the most lethal killer crossover? Who could actually leap tall buildings in a single bound? Who‘ll make the fastest B-line to the NBA?

When we asked the All-Americans to re-tell their most memorable moment, to a player, without hesitation, they picked off nuggets from visits to the Ronald McDonald House of Central Ohio.

Girls West MVP Meighan Simmons (Steele HS, Cibolo, Texas) loved baking cookies for the entire house. Samarie Walker (Chaminade-Julienne HS, Dayton, Ohio) said she’ll never forget 5-year-old Leonardo Morshen, the youngest kid ever to receive a pacemaker. And the local hero, Jared Sullinger, who was treated a lot like a prep version of “The King,” said an accidental punch to the groin was what he’ll remember most.

Ah, the simple pleasures.

"It was a little kid, when we were walking out, he hit me in the private area and I bent over and he smiled,” said Sullinger, of Northland (Columbus, Ohio). “He was worried about me at first but he saw I had a smile on my face so he smiled back. I think it cracked him up because he just took out a guy 6-foot-9 and 260 pounds.”

Indeed, children with special needs can bring anyone to their knees, but especially these hoopsters with extraordinary gifts. The physical disparity between top-tier athlete and a child unable to walk or one recovering from chemotherapy or organ transplant is far wider than Josh Selby’s vertical leap. {VIDEO_f3170a69-8952-4e2e-9322-8331c3d15eec,floatRightWithBar}“It was an eye-opener for me,” said 6-foot Maryland-bound guard Laurin Mincy University (Newark, N.J.). “That made me grateful for my blessings to see some kids not being able to walk or have certain disabilities. It made me feel very grateful.”

Feeling more grateful is indeed a vital lesson for these All-Americans, most who will go on to much-ballyhooed college and professional basketball careers. More important is the knowledge of their power, their influence. Not to make shoe deals or appearances on dance shows or even political gain, but for their ability to make a huge difference in personal lives.

Just by showing a face, sharing a smile, or even taking a punch in the private region.

“Seeing that kid smile – I would take a hit like that any day, any time,” Sullinger said.

It normally doesn’t take such a physically painful sacrifice. In fact, the true lesson here is that human interchange is mutually beneficial. It’s hard to know who gained more from this meeting of the hearts – the underprivileged children or multi-gifted future megastar?

Perry Jones III, a mountain of a 6-11, 225-pound post from Duncanville (Texas), unquestionably voted for the latter. The thoughtful, soft-spoken Baylor-bound standout thought deep and hard when asked about what he’ll tell locals about his McDonald’s week.

“I think everyone is going to want to tell me about the dunks and seeing me on YouTube,” said Jones III, who didn’t win the dunk contest but had arguably the most talked-about jam, a 360, head-at-the-rim throwdown. “But I’ll just want to talk about what I’ve seen and experienced with the kids.”

Which was?

“Man, I was just touched,” he said. “I mean, the kids are ill. Yet they're not down. They’re high-spirited. They hang with us, they play with us, they smile. They don’t seem sad.”

With that, Jones III had to catch his emotion. He literally touched his own heart.

“I feel great to make their day,” he said.

NOTES: The Columbus Ronald McDonald House is the second-largest in the world and served more than 2,200 families in 2009. … More than 250 volunteers serve families and in 2009 volunteers worked nearly 35,000 hours that equates to a value of some $700,000. … The average stay is about eight nights, but some stay as little as one night and some more than a year. … Families are asked for $20 per night donation, but no one is ever turned away for financial reasons. “We call it heart-happy work,” said RMHC of Central Ohio CEO Paul Thompson. “For (the All-Americans) to come in and take time and interact and get what it all means is a great thing for everyone involved.” … East co-head coach Norm Persin (Oak Hill HS, Ohio) felt particularly attached to the games because his granddaughter Marley had a 10-day stay at the Columbus RMHC due to an underdeveloped pancreas at birth. Marley, now 4, has recovered fully. “The game and competition is secondary compared to what they do here,” Persin said. “People's lives are saved here. We will always be indebted to this house.”