Kate Robinson knows exactly what is about to happen. She sees this every week. The house is far too quiet. The kids are home and yet…total silence.
She gingerly approaches the living room, one foot moving slowly in front of the other. Her eyes squinting, anticipating the ensuing chaos.
The barrage of Nerf darts seem to come from all corners of the room. The direction of the opening salvos only detectable by the shrill of a little girl and the chuckle of a much, much bigger kid.
“JIM!!!” yells Kate. “Pleeeeeeease stop!”
Kate’s husband, Jim, ceases the attack. Behind a barricade of pillows and a canopy of blankets, his eye-to-ear grin beams across his face.
“We got you!” he laughs.
For those that knew him, Jim Robinson – known to others as Jimmy – was the biggest kid in the neighborhood, even as a grown man. It was not uncommon for the families that lived near the Robinson’s home in Fort Campbell to find their kids in the backyard running around with Jim.
“Sometimes it was like the entire neighborhood of kids were in our back yard. And there was Jim in the middle of it,” remembers Kate.
“Sometimes I felt like I was raising three kids.”
Jim may have had a funny side to him, but when it came to serving his country, there was no kidding around.
“He took it serious,” says Jim Robinson Sr. “He loved being in the army and he loved serving his country.”
As Jim found his place in the Army, he found a unique way to earn the respect of his fellow soldiers. Anytime someone needed a lift or some inspiration, Jim had an unforgettable way of grabbing a fellow soldier’s attention.
“He’d walk up to them and say SHABOOMS!” recalled Jim Robinson Sr. “That was one of the things we learned from his friends. Any time they needed to get motivated…SHABOOMS!”
SGT James C. Robinson Jr. gave his life in the service of others on 28 August 2010 during combat operations in Paktika Province, Afghanistan.
In the wake of their loss, the Robinson family came together and created a legacy building organization that captures the spirit of Jim's life. Shabooms Inc became a nonprofit in 2011 with the goal to create education, military, and life opportunities through scholarships - all in honor of Jim.
The impact of Shabooms in Jim's hometown has been remarkable. With broad support from the community, Shabooms successfully awarded three $1,000 scholarships in its first year of operations. By year two, that total grew to $5,000.
Last year, Shabooms awarded $11,000 in 2015 - totaling $27,500 high school scholarships in just four years!
Dog Tag Brewing Foundation is proud to work with the Robinson family by assisting Shabooms with a 2016 Legacy Grant. That grant will support additional fundraising efforts enabling Shabooms to continue awarding more scholarships.
For those that knew him, Jim might have been a big kid at times. But when it came to make a difference, he was there. Jim answered the call as a friend, as a father, and as a soldier.
Here's to you, Jim!
SHABOOMS!
DOG TAG BREWING FOUNDATION
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Dog Tag Brewing Foundation is a combat Veteran-run nonprofit that partners with Gold Star Families to celebrate the lives of our nation's Fallen Warriors.
Interested in contributing to the Foundation's mission of supporting and enhancing Gold Star Family initiatives? Please take a moment and visit our Call to Action Page. Your support matters!
