Green Bay Running Back Aaron Jones, his brother Alvin Jones, Jr. and their A&A All The Way Foundation hosted their annual gala on Nov. 18 at the Automobile Gallery and Event Center in Green Bay, WI. At the event, they surprised one family with an Eterneva diamond.
Jones gifted the Colleys, a military family from Texas, a memorial diamond from Eterneva in honor of Major Alan Colley, who died by suicide in 2017 after 20 years of service. The one-of-a-kind gift was presented to Alan Colley’s wife, Lieutenant Colonel Marcela Colley, and their two daughters after they spoke about the impact that the A&A All The Way Foundation has had on them during the gala.
The memorial diamond, which will be created out of a piece of Alan Colley’s uniform, gives the family a way to forever remember him and carry him with them wherever they go. The diamond also could be turned into a piece of jewelry in the future, such as a wedding ring for one of the Colley daughters, Katelyn and Juliana.
“A&A All The Way has done so much for our family and they keep doing more. I am truly honored and left speechless,” said Marcela Colley.
The Colley family participated in the A&A All The Way Foundation’s Freedom Is series, where they explained what freedom means to them and recorded messages of encouragement for other children who have lost a loved one while serving. You can watch their video here: aaalltheway.org/freedom-is.
“Thank you to the Colley family and everyone who showed up and helped make this event a success,” said Aaron Jones. “I am so proud of all the A&A All The Way Foundation has done and continues to do to support military families.”
Jones unexpectedly lost his father, Alvin Jones, Sr. last year. Both of the Jones’ parents, Alvin and Vurgess, served in the military. Aaron is currently working on making his own memorial diamond out of his father’s ashes.
“Our beliefs align exactly with what the Colley family has shared,” said Adelle Archer, Eterneva CEO and co-founder. “We chose to not let tragedy define us but to celebrate remarkable lives.”
The A&A All The Way Foundation plans to give a military family who has lost a loved one the Eterneva memorial diamond once a year. The next family to receive this gift will be from the Jones family’s hometown, El Paso, TX. To nominate a family from El Paso, or from other cities for future consideration, visit aaalltheway.org/supporting-children-in-military-families.
Other highlights from the second annual A&A All The Way Foundation gala included a VIP cocktail hour with Aaron and Alvin, silent and live auctions, fundraising games, dinner, drinks, live entertainment and a Q&A session with Aaron and Alvin.
Steve Czaban, host of the Steve Czaban Show on 97.3 The Game, returned to emcee the event for the second year. Czaban, Aaron Jones and the Colley family all spoke at the Friday night event.
The gala raised $140,000 to support military families across Wisconsin and the US. For photos from the event, or to learn more about the A&A All The Way Foundation, visit www.aaalltheway.org.
