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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — For 10 years WCIA has been encouraging viewers to donate blood during our gift of life drive. It’s in honor of Robert Reese and Dave Benton.
Jennifer Roscoe talked to their families this week about their legacy that lives on.
We lost Robert Reese 12 years ago, and Dave Benton nine years ago. Both to cancer, both too soon.
Robert worked at WCIA as a meteorologist for 14 years.
“Every time I go out, I meet someone new. I say my name, [they’d be] like ‘Robert Reese’s son? The weatherman?’ That’s my dad. It’s kind of crazy having a local celebrity as a father,” Matthew Reese said.
Dave was Jennifer Roscoe’s co-anchor for nine.
“People still remember him. People are like, ‘Oh that’s who you were married to. I loved him.’ So did I,” Terri Benton, wife of Dave Benton said.
Neither was born in Central Illinois, but both came here and realized this is where they wanted to raise their children.
“When we moved here, he was like ‘Okay we can just stay here. We’re done. This is home,” Benton said.
“How tightknit it was. How we all supported each other. How everybody knew everybody, and they could make connections easily,” Reese said.
Dave was the straight man, Robert the wisecracker.
“Always making somebody laugh. That was his favorite thing I think was putting a smile on somebody’s face,” Reese said.
But what they had in common was not wanting their disease to be the spotlight.
“He was not the first person. He won’t be the last,” Benton said.
What they would want to be the focus? That giving blood is just another way to give back…like they did in so many ways when they worked here.
“It’s a selfless thing to do. Hopefully it comes back your way. The karma does,” Reese said.
“He would be totally honored but he would be like why me? People should just do it but it’s great that we can use his name,” Benton said.
So that’s right… we are using Dave and Robert’s names and their memory like we have for 10 years now. We hope it encourages you to roll up your sleeve on Thursday.