Portland Profiles: Timber Jim, I’d drive the log to Columbus!

In a series of profiles of prominent members of the Portland football community, we start by looking at the original lumberjack mascot Timber Jim Serrill

Portland Profiles: Timber Jim, I’d drive the log to Columbus!

Timber Jim Serrill was the man who wielded the dreaded chainsaw in front of the Timbers Army faithful. As is the case today, he would cut a piece off the log when Portland scored.

In his heyday, Jim’s stage act was very impressive.

According to his website,

“to honor Oregon’s heritage, he would climb to the highest point in the stadium – atop an 80-foot spar pole at the south end of the field — where his drum was interrupted only by the revving of his chainsaw, which he used to rally enthusiasm for an impending corner kick. He would stay atop the pole until the Timbers scored.”

That honour passed to Timber Joey Weber in 2008 but far from a peaceful retirement, Jim has been living life to the full.

On retirement, Jim continued to be a much loved member of the Timbers family. Modern tradition reflects this.

Around the 80th minute of every game, regardless of the score, Timbers fans will sing “You are my sunshine” in tribute to his daughter Hannah who died tragically in a car crash in 2004.

Jim was of course badly affected by the loss:

“I thought I was going to lose my mind. The Timbers Army helped pull me through even though I was initially hard to be around. If people wear a cloak of sadness, people will slowly migrate away from you. Those were difficult times. You got to let it go.

“I decided I was going to be happy. People loved me but they couldn’t be around me.  At first I saw the song as reliving a funeral, but now I see it as a celebration. “

Cancer struck but rather than sit at home and letting it win, he decided to live life to the full. Surgery and radiation helped him conquer it but so did his trademark can-do attitude.

“You take the charge on cancer. You don’t sit back and wait. You give up on life and you’re fucked.”

He brings humour to the longer lasting effects if the surgery:

“I go to a game and I’m singing. But I need to piss quite often. I had to ask my ticket rep for a seat close to the bathroom! He doesn’t get that request very often.”

Initially he wanted to travel around the world and kayak some of its most dangerous rivers but his hoped for travel companion ran out of funds. However out of that came another joy.

At 61 years old, Jim and his wife Diane are now full-time parents to his granddaughter and Hannah’s daughter, Keiana aged 14. Jim and Diane are trying to legally adopt her.

“She’s delightful. We love having her. She cheers up her house. She was in a bad situation (when her mother died). We’re actually adopting her. She’s got an opportunity to go to college. I want to take her to Tanzania and see what it’s like for children who have no opportunity.”

She is not the only child who Jim is trying to help.

Jim is now involved in a project called the Red Sweater Project.

The original aim was to open a school in Mungere, Tanzania which it did in September 2012. Jim is now a farmer and he is going there to start a farm for the village and will spend a month in Tanzania. He is currently also looking for two post graduate agriculture students to spend one growing season there.

“It began when a woman approached me proffering a Cascadia flag bracelet. Her name was Ashley Holmer. She’d been there 12 years.

“She asked me to wear the wristband and then he starts telling me what she’s doing in life.  Ashley had started a school. By the time she was done talking, I was in tears. She’s a remarkable lady. She just convinces people to drop what they’re doing and come and help her.

“Typically girls around Keiana’s age are looking at being given away in a dowry arrangement for 3 cows. Thousands of little girls have got that in their future.

“To me it’s unacceptable and I wanted to do something about it. Education is the ticket for options for a brighter future. I am going to teach them about farming. I’m going to show them how to build soil. I have already sent some seeds from my community garden.”

Jim is clearly very passionate about the school and passion turns his attention to football. He was there in years which, being kind, did not see the Timbers achieve success on the field like they have this week.

How does he feel about his club in the MLS Cup Final?

“It’s a dream come true. We’ve waited 40 years. Hope springs eternal. You’ve always got to have hope. If you think you’re going to get your ass kicked you’ve lost. We got 11. They got 11.”

Timber Jim now has tickets for the game and is traveling on the fans’ charter flight.

However he is passionate enough to have previously volunteered to personally drive to Columbus if the stadium authorities would allow the famous Portland log into the stadium for Timber Joey to cut up when Portland score.

“I’d have driven the log there. I even had a truck ready. I still hope Columbus and MLS are kind enough to allow us our traditions. I will make it happen, even if Joey has to chop the log up into smaller pieces to get it there! I appreciate there may be security concerns about letting a chainsaw into the stadium but I hope MLS will make an exception.

The log now measures a mere 8ft by 2ft six and its cart is based on a 30 inch platform.

“It’s a great visual and maybe the good folks at ESPN will help us to convince the powers that be.”

The presence of the log at the final would add to the colour and Prost joins the request for the MAPFRE and MLS authorities to make an exception and allow it to happen. The international press coverage would be great for the league – and after all, Columbus Crew is a club whose tradition makes reference to hard hats and manual labour.

Whether this happens or not, the amazing life that Timber Jim is now leading is testimony to the passionate people that lie behind and within the US Soccer community.

That and his aspiration to live his life to the full.

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