Mick Foley Blogs
Sue is a Warrior
I had just tweeted out my congratulations to longtime WWE employee Susan Aitchison for being announced as the recipient of the Warrior Award at this year’s WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony, when a fan asked a very valid question. “Who is she?” Followed by, “I’d like to know more about her.” So, in the next few paragraphs, I will try to explain who Sue is, and tell you a little more about her.
Sue, quite simply, has been helping make wishes and dreams come true for 30 years through WWE. The fact that so few know her name is a testament to how well she does her job. She facilitates just about every one of the wishes that WWE has been fortunate enough to grant over these last 30 years, never looking for credit, always allowing the WWE superstars to shine brightly when these wishes come true. Sue is more than just a dedicated employee. She’s a great person. And more importantly than being a great person, she brings out the best in others around her – allowing their greatness to emerge, sometimes in incredibly tough circumstances.
Like so many others who have performed for WWE, I have often been called upon to help make a difference – usually at Sue’s request, sometimes at her urging. She does the hard work, so that we can be there for some of the most important moments of children’s lives. In all those years with WWE, I think the number of wishes I have actually granted is two. That’s right, two. John Cena has literally granted thousands. Yet I have been part of hundreds of meetings with wish families, simply because Sue will say, “Mick, we have a wish family here to meet John Cena (or Rey, or Randy, or Edge, etc) – would you like to stop by and meet them? How can you say no? So a child who arrives to meet one specific superstar usually meets 10, 12…often more, simply because Sue gives us the opportunity to make a difference, and because she is just impossible to say no to!
In return, I don’t think she has ever said no to me, either. No matter how many times I would call the office with some idea of how to make the world a better place in some small way, I’d always get the same response: talk to Sue. And so I would. Dozens…and dozens of times…probably hundreds, over the years. There were times over the years when I supposedly had heat with the office (and others when I really did) – but I still talked to Sue. She moved mountains for me, and helped me create memories that will last families a lifetime, even though “helping Mick Foley” was nowhere in her job description. There were other times when I’d been out of favor with Mr McMahon, when I would still get a call from Sue, asking if I might want to represent the company at an event for a great organization. She set up my very first visit to Walter Reid Army Medical Center in 2003, and was still inviting me to represent WWE at USO events long after I had left the company. One year, I was at the USO gala, sitting by myself, as I was not only away from the company, but actively working with TNA. Sue came over and told me to join Sarge and Melina and Ken Anderson, and said as far as she was concerned, I was always going to be part of WWE.
Thank you to WWE for recognizing Sue’s tireless contributions. And thank you Sue for making wishes and dreams come true, and for instilling in so many around you, the spirit of giving. The positivity you have created is immeasurable, our gratitude to you immense.