SALT LAKE CITY — A man who wore the Jazz Bear costume for decades needs your help. Jon Absey spent nearly a quarter century entertaining fans by the thousands — but he’s recently come down with a life-threatening diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
Absey was the original Jazz Bear, starting back in 1994. For those who have grown up fans of the Jazz, many look back fondly on the years gone by.
“We were collectors, so we loved collecting game-worn pieces and memorabilia,” said Caitlin Nelson. “Mostly the 70s, 80s, and 90s of the Jazz.”
For Caitlin and Garrett Nelson, their love for this team and the pieces they gathered became an opportunity to preserve that history.
“The man behind the mask of the Utah Jazz Bear was the same man for almost 25 years,” Caitlin said in one of many reels posted to their Instagram page, Utah Jazz History (@utahjazzhistory).
They say their collection, and their inspiration, all came courtesy of that original Jazz Bear.
“Our collection kind of started with this snowboard right back here that Jon Absey actually rode down the stairs during the finals,” said Garrett Nielson.
Absey connected with them soon after they bought it and he signed the board — just one of many ways he touched the lives of this fanbase.
“To watch him silly string people or do his crazy antics — he really set the tone for what it means to be a mascot,” Garrett added.
But Eldon Farnsworth tells me he’s done so much more outside the Delta Center.
“I think the biggest thing about Jon is how big his heart is,” said Farnsworth.
Together, Absey and Farnsworth founded Firemen and Friends for Kids in the early 2000s.
“We take Kids Christmas shopping — that’s our biggest event of the year,” Farnsworth said.
Each year, they worked to ensure happy holidays for anyone who’s disadvantaged. It’s one of a number of charities Absey is involved with, so the news of his diagnosis devastated many who’ve come to know him.
“My heart just hurt,” said Farnsworth.
His friends say Absey is a fighter, and they’re trying to help him through this battle.
“Jon would never ask for it — because Jon is Jon,” Farnsworth said.
So they set up a GoFundMe to help with medical bills they expect to be in the hundreds of thousands. In the meantime, they’re sending him all the strength they can.
“Jon, I love you,” said Farnsworth. “Take care of yourself.”
