A group of men from the Wallaceburg area laced up their sneakers on Sunday, not only to play a game they love, but to also help a local family in need.
The collection of Wallaceburg District Secondary School alumni, and other basketball players in their 20s and 30s from the area, gathered at the Wallaceburg Kinsmen Centre on January 3, for what is turning into an annual 3-on-3 basketball tournament.
“Over the past few years we’ve held the 3-on-3 tournament over the holidays and had a cash prize for the winning team,” said Nick Persyn, the organizer.
“This year a friend brought it to my attention about the tough times the Fields family were going through with their son Brayden and about the possibility of donating the funds from the tournament to the family.”
When the idea began to circulate around, it was a no-brainer.
“I thought it was a great idea and texted the other players to see what they thought,” Persyn said. “Obviously everyone thought it was a great idea, so I went forward with it.”
At the end of the day, the group of about 20 players raised $600 for Brayden Fields and his family.
“I was very happy to see people donate more than the $20 entry fee,” he said.
Persyn added he wanted to thank the Wallaceburg Kinsmen Club for donating the gym rental fee for the day on Sunday.
“We plan on donating the proceeds of future tournaments to local charities,” Persyn said.
Brayden, 17, suffered injuries in a car crash on November 21.
He has been in a London hospital since.
Here are some photos of the basketball tournament:
The winning team of Chris Mayo, Willy Fields, Sam Hermit and Chris Roberts.
