The foundation honors the Cranbrook football coach who was killed by a drunk driver in 2020

FOX 2 (WJBK) – For the first time, the family of popular Cranbrook football coach Ben Jones is speaking out after he was killed by a drunk driver in 2020.

They have since created a foundation in his honor to help children like Ben did.

“He loved coaching football,” said Ben’s brother, Nate Jones. “He said he worked during the day, but his real work started at 3 p.m. when he got on the field and got to coach these kids.”

The 30-year-old head coach of the Cranbrook Kingswood varsity football team worked as a financial planner to afford what he loved most: working with children.

“He had a passion for football, but he also had a passion for young people; “He helped them grow and become the best versions of themselves,” Nate said, fondly remembering his brother.

However, everything changed on August 19, 2020.

Ben drove home. He stopped at a red light EB I-696 Service Drive in Pleasant Ridge, but a drunk woman driving about 65 mph did not. She crashed into Ben’s car from behind, pushing him into two other vehicles in front of him.

He was pronounced dead at Royal Oak Beaumont.

“Pretty devastating day, but we set out to make something beautiful out of something so tragic,” Nate said.

The admitted drunk driver, 56-year-old Wendy Bass, had a blood alcohol content more than three times the legal limit. She is expected to spend up to 15 years in prison.

But Ben’s friends and family wanted the young coach with a bright future to be remembered by his life, not his death.

“One thing I loved about my brother is that he saw the best in people, even when they didn’t see it themselves,” Nate said. “He always had a deep belief that others could achieve great things.”

Shortly after Ben’s untimely death, his loved ones founded the Get To Foundation in his memory – named after a simple phrase he used often during his time as a student at Hillsdale College.

Michael Murray, who headed the college’s career services, remembers helping the graduate find a job.

“I said, ‘Okay, this is what you need to do before our next meeting,’ and he corrected me … and he said, ‘This is what I can do – I don’t have to do anything,'” Murray said. “I thought, ‘I like this.'”

These two simple words have become the foundation’s mantra as it works to motivate students like Ben did as a football coach and in life.

“We really want to create a new generation of people who will be empowered by this message and embrace life every day with a ‘get to’ attitude,” Nate said. “And that they have a community of people to help them achieve it.”

The Get To Foundation has already raised $150,000. From scholarships, grants and motivational speakers to building baseball fields and buying soccer cleats, more young people are able to go to college, play sports and be inspired to live like Ben.

“He was an old soul who just knew how to connect with people,” Murray said. “And to honor that connection and friendship, he then distanced himself. He was purposeful in everything he did and people mattered.”

And because Ben is no longer able to do that, the foundation, in his honor, is committed to helping children change their mindset and embrace every opportunity that comes their way with positivity and enthusiasm.

“I think he would be really proud of the impact we’ve made in such a short amount of time, but the coach in him would say there’s more work to do and that we can do more,” Nate said.

If you would like to participate in the Get To Foundation’s June golf fundraiser or donate to the organization, visit their website at GetToFoundation.org.