Many superstars and personalities have come out in support of Roman Reigns since his announcement that his leukemia has returned. John Minadakis, owner of Jimmy’s Seafood, is one of them. He spoke to Sports Illustrated about the diagnosis, what Roman Reigns means to him and what he is going to do to help. Here’s the excerpt from the interview:
“Finding out that Roman has leukemia was like a punch to the gut,” said Minadakis. “He’s an incredible friend, so I was shocked when I heard.
“He helped me fight through my depression. When I blew out my knee, he would always check on me and tell me about the mental aspect of recovery. Now I believe that Roman will be the face of someone who can defeat cancer.”
Minadakis took action as soon as he heard the news of Reigns’ announcement on Raw, raising money at Jimmy’s Seafood’s Bowling Classic event this past weekend, as well as raising the spirits of his friend.
“Roman is in for one hell of a fight, and he needs his soul to be at 100% to fight the disease,” said Minadakis, who proudly calls himself one of Reigns’ friends. “We’ve been in contact, and you can tell he appreciates the support and it helps him battle. He’s eager to defeat this and really make a difference.
“From now on, until he defeats it, we’re going to put all our muscle and community efforts behind leukemia research.”
The Bowling Classic event raised over $12,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, including $7,500 this past weekend, which was donated to the Mid-Atlantic chapter.
“Roman also surprised one of the kids from Baltimore with a trip to WrestleMania,” said Minadakis. “That’s something he set up himself with WWE.”
Minadakis is having bracelets made to champion Reigns’ fight, as well as an upcoming golf tournament with shirts that will have Reigns’ ribbon on the sleeve.
“There are so many people behind him,” said Minadakis. “I want to show the power of the community behind him, and I want him to see that. It means a lot to him, he needs it, and it’s our turn to step up and do something for him.”
You can view the full Sports Illustrated article by clicking HERE
