PULLMAN, Wash. — More than two years ago, Washington State kicker Dean Janikowski lost his mother to breast cancer, and since then, he has helped raise tens of thousands of dollars to help those affected by this terrible disease.
Now, as Dean gets ready to enter his final season in Pullman, he wants to continue that work on and off the field.
4 News Now's Alex Crescenti sat down with Janikowski on Thursday for this in depth conversation.
ALEX CRESCENTI (AC): I think it's been about a year and a half since we last talked to you. In that time, how has your life changed, how has More Than a Kick, The Heather Janikowski Foundation, how has that all changed?
DEAN JANIKOWSKI (DJ): It's been really cool, we met about five different people that we were able to help. We donated a lot of money to them, so being able to learn their story and meet them has been super cool. Being busy especially in the offseason and stuff like that, having the time to meet and help out and kind of game plan what we want to especially meeting for these Kicking Cancer events that are coming up all that has been super busy.
AC:Â You've been able to raise more money in the State of Washington than from the State of California where you are originally from.
DJ: Oh yeah and just in Pullman too. So not even, because California we're pretty broad range, sort of So Cal area, but just in the small town of Pullman has been way more money.
AC:Â So what's that mean to you to see, you're not originally from this state, but people pouring in the support for you over the last few years?
DJ: I think it just shows too when I made that first choice was just like, they had open hands, or open arms, they were alway welcoming me. So when that happened I just knew, it's been so awesome to meet all these people, all these farmers and different people, especially the ones that need it and be able to help their story out and just seeing how small this world really is because there's been a lot of people interconnected. I just met last week some person that used to work in California and used to be I believe he was a mechanic, so he used to work on my moms car whenever there was issues at Chevy, and now he lives up here and he's like 'oh Heather was great I remember her, I can't wait to go to your event' I'm like wow that's so amazing.
AC:Â Now you're coming to your sixth year, you have to feel like the old guy now right?
DJ: Yeah me and KT are the grandpas, we're in our masters programs...You can tell for sure when you're getting older, now I can kind of understand like I can't kick a football as many times as I used to be able to. I'm starting to feel it a little bit more, it's funny. So we get the grandpa jokes all the time.
AC: With more than a kick you're going to continue that into this final year. I assume that's some extra motivation for your last year of college football. What are your goals going into 2024?
DJ: Just keep raising more money and as well just keep doing well, because if I keep playing well then i'll be able to go to the NFL and then i'll be able to do More Than a Kick in the NFL. So hopefully raise even more money. So the better I play the more money we can raise, and that's kind of my goal, just keep having fun with it. It's been so fun being able to help these people out, hear these stories, and just kicking well is always fun too.
Janikowski is hosting his second annual "Kicking Cancer Event" Friday night at Zeppoz in Pullman, which will feature a bowling tournament and auctions, with the proceeds going toward the Heather Janikowski Foundation.
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