by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
Hoopin’ for Tommy B takes place at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 8 at Sartell High School.
The varsity game and fundraising event will feature a game between the Sartell Sabres and the Rocori Spartans. There will be a half-time performance by the Alexandria Aces. Attendees are encouraged to wear green – especially neon green – as that was one of the favorite colors of Tommy B. (Tom Bearson).
Bearson is the young Sartell man who was found murdered Sept. 23, 2014 in Moorhead, Minn., a case which remains unsolved. The former superb high-school basketball player, son of Greg and Deb Pearson of Sartell, was a new student at the University of North Dakota, Fargo, at the time of his death.
Bearson’s family, friends and supporters started the Tom Bearson Foundation to keep Tom’s memory alive, to promote safety on school campuses and to promote basketball opportunities for young people because basketball was a sport Bearson loved and excelled in since the time he was a toddler.
Hoopin’ for Tommy B is partly a fundraiser for the Bearson Foundation, although Tom’s parents mostly just want people who attend to have a lot of fun while keeping Tommy’s memory alive in the area, including among the younger players coming up through the basketball program.
Jan. 8 was chosen for the event because it is as close as possible to Tom’s birthday, Jan. 6.
After the Alexandria Aces perform, there will be a three-point shooting contest ($1 per shot), and winners will receive a cupcake decorated for Tom’s birthday. The cupcakes were donated by the Sartell Coborns’ stores and Cold Spring Bakery. Proceeds will go to the Bearson Foundation, along with money raised from a 50/50 raffle.
The Alexandria (Minnesota) Aces, who will put on a half-time show at Hoopin’ for Tommy B., is one of the top-rated acts in the NCAS and NBA. Their show has been seen by more than four million people and the group has even been invited to perform at the White House.
The team was formed 25 years ago, at first as a basketball-handling club under the tutelage of master basketball trick artist Larry Novotny of Alexandria, Minn.
The team is comprised of boys and girls ages 5-12 who perform mind-boggling dribbling, juggling and feats of spinning.
