Matt Zajac is a Mechanical Engineering student at New Mexico State University.\u00a0 He\u2019s also not your your typical college student.\u00a0 He\u2019s an Iraq War vet – and a double amputee. \u00a0He was injured in an explosion in Iraq.<\/p>\n
Recently, he was announced as the winner of a $2,000 by-name drawing lottery at the NMSU-San Diego State college football game (28 September).\u00a0 NMSU apparently holds such a drawing at each of its home games to encourage student attendance.<\/p>\n
There was one small problem:\u00a0 Zajac couldn\u2019t collect.<\/p>\n
Rules for the drawing stipulate the winner must be present to win.\u00a0 However, Zajac was at his grandmother\u2019s house that day, taking care of her.\u00a0 And he refused to attempt to collect via fraud:\u00a0 he was honest with NMSU officials about the fact that he wasn\u2019t at the game.<\/p>\n
NMSU officials commended Zajac for his service (and, presumably, for his honesty as well).\u00a0 However, they felt they could not make an exception<\/a> in Zajac\u2019s case. \u00a0Rules are, after all, rules.<\/p>\n In most cases, that would have been the end of it \u2013 no cash, but honor and honesty intact.\u00a0 Except . . . some things just seem to transcend athletic rivalries when good people are involved.<\/p>\n Enter NMSU\u2019s arch-rival, the University of New Mexico.<\/p>\n One of UNM\u2019s supporters \u2013 Mark Chavez, who runs the UNM support site \u201cTheLoboLair.com<\/a>\u201d \u2013 read about Zajac\u2019s misfortune and his honesty.\u00a0 He decided to try and raise $2,000 to make up Zajac’s loss.<\/p>\n Chavez started his online fund drive one day last week at 0830.\u00a0 By 1550 that same afternoon, they\u2019d raised $2,000.<\/p>\n Zajac was notified of the cash coming his way.\u00a0 In response, he indicated he was honored, but would only accept half \u2013 and would pass along the other half to the Fisher House Foundation<\/a>, a charity that supports military families.\u00a0 Zajac at one time volunteered for Fisher House.<\/p>\n Well done, gents. Damned well done.\u00a0 Kudos to both of you.<\/p>\n Oh, and for what it\u2019s worth:\u00a0 it seems UNM and NMSU played a football game recently \u2013 last Saturday (5 October), to be precise.<\/p>\n Maybe there really is something to the term \u201cInstant Karma”.\u00a0 UNM won the game, 66-17.\u00a0 (smile)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"