After his story was posted on the TK website and shared on social media, the TK Alumni Association got involved to help write another chapter in the story. TK Alumni Association President Randy Eggers said the group wanted to do something for Bowman and hoped he would like a TK Alumni t-shirt – not a partial shirt from a rag box, but a full t-shirt to wear and hopefully share his story when people ask about it. Eggers wrote:
“We so greatly appreciate you taking the time to share your experience of finding the football T-shirt front in the bag of rags with our school system. It has been shared on our school Facebook page along with Alumni Facebook page. We are a community that takes great pride in our school system and do what we can to support each other. At this time, we would like to make you an Honorary TK Alumni member and present you with this shirt.”
Bowman was again impressed by the thoughtfulness of the district and upon receiving his new shirt sent a very appreciative response to the Alumni Association:
“What an honor it is to be an honorary member of the Thornapple Kellogg High School Alumni Association. I can tell by the recent association I’ve had with personnel from your school, that it is a close knit organization from the youngest student to the oldest faculty member. I see that the students love their teachers & the teachers love reaching their students. Your school not only teaches the basics of education, but teaches the students about appreciation to those that have sacrificed so much for their freedom. Our country has some problems and flaws in it, but it is teachers & alumni like the ones at TKHS that are training up the next generation to be the ones that helps fix those problems & flaws. My prayer is for y’all (southern word) to keep up what you’re doing & hopefully one day meet all of you in person.”
He included a photo of himself sporting the new TK shirt. Bowman said after finding the first partial t-shirt he decided not to use it as a rag on the oil rig. Instead he was going to keep it on his charter fishing boat in Louisiana and hoped it would bring him good luck.