Former Q101 Sales Manager Gives Inspirational Speech To Butler Basketball Team

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: Emmis Alum Gives Motivational Speech To Butler Basketball Team : : April 3, 2010 : Long-time Emmis Communications employee Matt White was the inspirational speaker for the Butler University basketball team Friday afternoon. White graduated from Butler in 1989 and his team is part of the NCAA Final Four this weekend. White worked at Emmis-Indianapolis and Chicago in sales, rising to GSM of WKQX (Q101), and was diagnosed with ALS a decade ago. He retired six years ago to Florida, where he currently is on a respirator. : Last week, White emailed Emmis CEO Jeff Smulyan and President of Radio Programming Rick Cummings (a fellow Butler grad), to voice his hopes for the Butler team and that he could make it to Indianapolis to see them in the Final Four. In the email, White wrote, "let me tell you there may be no more frustrating feeling than not being able to scream, yell and dance around in celebration. Losing in silence i can take. Winning in silence is brutal, but totally worth it. ...if by some miracle butler wins again tomorrow, never happen, [my wife] shartrina and i along with our required entourage are coming to indianapolis. This will be a massive undertaking, and literally terrifying. in the 6 years since i left the hospital i have spent a total of 2 nights away from home, and never been more than 4 hours away...." : The combined efforts of his friends, Emmis employees and complete strangers brought White & co. to Indianapolis, in a Lear jet donated by an anonymous stranger no less! : The national media has picked up White's story, and his speech to Butler (written by Matt but read by his wife to the team, as Matt has lost the ability to speak due to his condition) will actually air on CBS tonight (4/3) as part of the Final Four broadcast. Here is a New York Times story from earlier this week on White's life and his journey to Indy. : Donations are being accepted to defray the cost of Matt's trip. Donations from his friends in radio can be sent to: : Matt White Epic Journey : Att: Matt White : National Championship Drive : 210 Cap Stan Drive- Cap Haze, Florida 33946 : http://www.cureals.org/

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