Wednesday, January 24, 2001

Team Jonathan to

be honored by Respesses

Team Jonathan,

a group of youths who have worked to honor the memory of Jonathan Respess,

a Fayette County High School junior who lost his life to a sudden cardiac

arrest to heart arrhythmia in May 1999, will be honored themselves next

week.

Mike and Beth

Respess, Jonathan's parents, will honor the teens with a celebration dinner

Monday at 5:30 p.m. at Ruby Tuesday in Peachtree City.

"There

is no way that we can express how much having the support of these young

people has meant to us," said Beth Respess. "They have filled

our home with laughter, given us a reason to bake chocolate chip cookies

and have the pizza man knock at our door once again.

"They

have given us a reason to believe our son will not be forgotten,"

she said.

She said her

son was an apparently healthy, active 16-year-old with no history of heart

problems. Beth and her husband were not aware of heart arrhythmia and

its symptoms. She says she believes that with more information about the

condition, she might have been able to save her son.

To increase

awareness of and raise funds for arrhythmia research, especially in children

and teens, the Respesses formed Team Jonathan through the American Heart

Association. The group is composed of about 25 of Jonathan's friends who

are seniors at FCHS.

They have given

of their time since the group formed last spring. Although the students

are active in sports, academic, civic and church organizations, as well

as holding down part time jobs, they rearranged their schedules to attend

Saturday meetings at the Respesses' and participate in fund-raising activities

throughout the year.

Team Jonathan

has raised approximately $20,000 for the Heart Association.