Well it’s that time a year again!
This past weekend the 2018 Sullivan Classic Wheelchair Basketball Tournament Sponsored by Jefferson Health & Magee Hospital was held at the River Winds Community Center in West Deptford, NJ.
This is my second year volunteering for the tournament and it never stops amazing me the power of the human spirit. The women and men that I interacted with are all there to compete; however there is much more than basketball in their eyes…
As always, the courage and determination in each of the individuals who participated in the tournament is inspiring to say the least. Each with their own disability, whether it is an amputee, spinal cord injury, and/or a paralysis does not hinder them in any way to do many things a perfectly healthy person may not be able to even perform. I was on the game clock for several games (hope I didn’t cheat anyone by accident, lol); however just seeing the level of respect for each other was amazing. One particular thing that caught my eye; was occasionally a person would roll over in the wheelchair due to a collision. The person would maneuver the wheelchair in an upright position without any assistance! If they did need assistance both teams would assist the person (while in their wheelchairs) in getting the player upright. Each time I witnessed this act, I wish more of us were willing to assist each other in our everyday lives without any hesitation like that…
I also find myself truly humbled every year by the collective spirit of everyone both volunteers, players, and coaches. Especially at this time of year when we are running around juggling work and home commitments, the timeliness of this event always puts things into perspective for me. Be grateful for everyone and everything in your life it is truly precious and fleeting…
The smiles and hugs I received as I walked around taking pictures & selfies was truly rewarding in itself. I want to thank all those Holman Volunteers who took the time out of their weekend to help me in my life long promise to continue to GIVE BACK each and every day!
Sincerely,
Tony #BelieveLikeMe
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