My name is Denzel Dixon.
I'm 27 years old, (crowd applauding)
and I live in Boston, Massachusetts.
(guitar music)
So I wrote into the Rachael Ray show
because my mom was turning 50
and I wanted Rachael's help
in making my mother's birthday spectacular.
Hi Rachael my name is Denzel Dixon.
My mother Kimberly Peeples
has been the best mother I could ever ask for.
Ever since I was about 12 years old,
my mom was a single parent
and she did just about anything
to make my brother and I comfortable and happy
and made sure that we wanted for nothing.
My mom is super hardworking.
She currently has a full time job.
She took on a part time job as well
and she's always busy,
always going.
My mom loves the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Born and raised (upbeat music)
in Springfield Massachusetts,
nobody knows why she is a Pittsburgh Steelers fan,
but she is. (crowd laughing)
She always loved Jerome Bettis,
Hines Ward,
Troy Polamalu,
the classic guys.
I remember I don't know what Superbowl it was
but even if he was playing,
Jerome Bettis was playing,
she would be like come on Bus
come on Bus.
she'd be screaming,
yelling,
jumping up off the couch.
It was pretty crazy.
(guitar music)
My mom helped her make me and my brother
the men we are today.
She always says that her birthday
is the one day that you can enjoy
and it's your day.
So I just wanted to make her day special.
With this being her 50th,
I'm hoping you
can help make it the best she's ever had.
Aww (crowd applauding)
Denzel and Kimberly come on down.
(crowd applauding) (guitar music)
Well 50 is a big one
so we wanted to get you a big gift.
so we decided to get you an actual big gift.
NFL Hall of Famer and Superbowl Champ,
from the Pittsburgh Steelers,
Jerome "The Bus" Bettis.
(crowd cheering) (guitar music)
Oh my god.
Happy birthday.
Oh hi honey
aint this fun?
This is really cool. Aint this so fun?
Congratulations man
great job great job thank you thank you.
Isn't this a sweet story?
It's an incredible story just to hear that
and to know that you guys are in
Patriots territory and you guys are still the fans,
that is huge in and of itself.
(crowd applauding) That is huge.
That's huge.
That's big for this neck of the woods please.
It is
Now why are you a Steelers fan?
Your own son doesn't know.
I have to be honest. Yup.
I like the black and gold so you know
I like football, (crowd laughing)
I love football.
There's a TV in the kitchen
just to watch football. I love that.
You're the reason.
So one day the Steelers are playing
and this man is just like knocking people out the way
and I'm like
I like him so that's how (crowd cheers)
it kinda happened So she came to them
because of the color of their uniforms.
(crowd cheering)
And stayed because of the talent of the team.
So I think you brought I did
along an extra surprise I brought something.
On behalf of the Pittsburgh Steelers,
we have three tickets for you
for a Steelers game in Pittsburgh.
(crowd applauding) (Rachael cheering)
Lots of black and gold and tickets.
Oh my god.
I know I'm never usually speechless,
but I'm speechless today.
He's kind of crushing it.
He's really really good.
We can sign that too. Oh yeah yeah yeah.
So yah we can take care of you.
He is throwing down.
He's gonna top Italy We're gonna hook it up.
no matter what degree he gets out of here.
Now I wanna take time for Jerome
to also have the floor here.
Can you please tell everybody about your foundation.
She has very good taste in people.
He's not only a great ball player.
He's a great human.
Tell people about the important work you do.
Well I started my foundation back in 1997
and the goal was to work with underprivileged
at-risk kids because I was one
growing up in the city of Detroit
and so what we do is we work with
kids in Detroit and Pittsburgh.
We've impacted over 2,000 kids just last year alone.
And we have a STEM education program,
Fantastic.
called Innovation Huddle that we're very very proud of.
And its just been fantastic.
We're very fortunate this year.
CDW donated Macbook Pros to all of the kids
That's amazing in the program
so it's been tremendous.
You see it's about healthy body and healthy mind.
We keep coming back to that That's right.
Throughout the entire show today.
These two are so closely related right.
They are they really are.
And I love Detroit and Pittsburgh
because they're cities that have reinvented themselves.
They didn't wait for Politicians to do it for them.
They're communities Yup
that came together and just got it going on
(crowd applauding) That's right.
Thank you for the good work you do
You too you too.
(crowd cheering) (outro music)