Chiefs of Santaluces: Joe-Joe Matuella

Alan McGonigle, Sports Editor

“There is this organization called Little Smiles, and they help children with cancer do things that they want to do. When I was little, I was obsessed with Free Willy. When I was about eight years old, they sent me to Seattle, to see orcas in the wild. When I was on the plane, I was anxious, but I loved flying. I was anxious to see the whales and to go out to the Pacific Northwest. The first day we went out, the locals had not seen whales for a couple weeks, and after a couple of hours, over 70 whales came through. They were jumping and doing tricks like the ones you see at Sea World. It has always been my favorite memory, and I want to go back to see the whales one day. When I left, it felt like closure, after finally seeing the whales.”