MARYSVILLE — Colleen Storm, 77, has never been to a Seattle Seahawks football game, but walk into her room at the Marysville Care Center and you can see she’s a fan.
A Seahawks doormat sits outside her door, an NFC championship banner hangs on the wall and a team scarf is draped over her bed. She has photographs of former Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander and quarterback Matt Hasselbeck nestled side by side with her family’s picture.
One of her most prized possessions is a team jacket from the 1970s. She was offered $100 for it, but refused.
“I said to him, ‘You’re not going to get this for any money’” Storm said.
But Storm has never been to a game — she said the tickets cost too much. And she can’t go now, because of her failing health. She has cancer that has spread to her lungs.
On Thursday, a part of the team came to her.
Storm was visited by two Sea Gals who gave her a set of pompoms and a signed photograph of themselves.
Excited by the visit, Storm shook the pompoms and chatted with the cheerleaders about her favorite Seahawks coach, Chuck Knox. They were surrounded by the center’s staff and Storm’s two daughters.
Physical therapist assistant Roy Johnson came up with the idea for the visit. He used to work with Storm in therapy sessions and they watched Seahawks games at the nursing home.
“We always had a popcorn party,” Johnson said.
He saw the Sea Gals at a promotional event at the local Wal-Mart, and asked if they could visit her.
Storm always watched the games on television or listened to them on the radio, said her daughter Kathy Scott, 55. Their family bonded over watching Seahawks games, Scott said.
Scott showed off to the Sea Gals a baseball cap that she gave to her mother that she had won at an auction for $10. The cap was signed by several players and staff including running back Curt Warner, safety Eugene Robinson and Storm’s favorite: Coach Knox.
On Thursday, Scott recalled the big family party when the team reached the Super Bowl.
Storm still groused about the loss.
“We were cheated on that game,” Storm said.
She likes current coach Pete Carroll and she understands that this year the team is young. She keeps up the hope, even though they lost this past weekend.
“They are going to improve and get better and better,” Storm said. “I don’t care if they win or lose, I care that they are playing.”
Alejandro Dominguez: 425-339-3422; adominguez@heraldnet.com.
