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04/27/2016 10:00 AMMore than 330 participants and spectators turned out for Clinton’s first THP (The Herren Project) Project Purple Community Dodgeball Tournament at The Morgan School, hosted by the nonprofit Friends of Clinton Youth & Family Services Bureau.
Proceeds from the April 12 fundraiser, totaling more than $2,000, will help cover the costs of bringing sobriety advocate and NBA basketball legend Chris Herren to Clinton this fall.
Herren, a former point guard for the Boston Celtics, travels to schools and communities across the United States sharing the story of his career-ending descent into—and eventual recovery from—drug addiction. Herren will headline student assemblies at the Morgan and Eliot schools on Oct. 6 and 7 and a community presentation, open to everyone, on Oct. 6, from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Morgan School.
A Massachusetts native, Herren finished his high school basketball career with 2,073 points, the most ever scored by a player at his school to this day. After college, he entered the NBA draft and was selected by the Denver Nuggets and traded to the Boston Celtics. Over the course of his academic and athletic careers, he abused prescription painkillers; became addicted to marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and crystal meth; and racked up seven drug-related felony arrests. He has been drug-free since August 1, 2008.
Friends of Clinton Youth & Family Services Bureau received a $3,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Middlesex County to help defray the costs of Herren’s upcoming speaking engagements and to establish the THP Project Purple Initiative at The Morgan School and Jared Eliot Middle School, a program that promotes sobriety among youth.
“Given the rise in drug overdose cases along the shoreline, this is a timely and very important issue for families to discuss,” said Lois Ruggiero, president of Friends of Clinton Youth & Family Services Bureau. “The goal of this event is to create awareness and educate the public on the epidemic of substance abuse while encouraging teens and people of all ages to make positive decisions.”
All proceeds from the dodgeball tournament will pay for expenses not covered by the Community Foundation grant.
Seventeen youth and adult teams, each with at least nine players, participated in the tournament. Adult teams include Clinton parents, Funktion Fitness, Shop Rite, Clinton Department of Public Works, Clinton Fire Department, Old Saybrook’s Project Courage, Morgan School Alumni, and Friends of CYFSB.
Clinton Selectman Lynn Pinder, who played for Friends of CYFSB, said, “Well, we got knocked out in the first round, and I got whacked straight in the face by a stray ball, but a good time was had, and we’re one step closer to bringing Chris Herren to Clinton.”
“We were extremely happy with the turnout, considering this was the first time we’ve hosted an event like this,” said Friends of CYFSB Treasurer Kimberly Inglis. “We are thinking about making this an annual fundraising event, possibly during THP Project Purple week in January.”
Several local organizations donated supplies and services to the tournament. They included Clinton Sports Shop (purple Game Changer bandanas), Stop & Shop (bottled water), Clinton Insurance Center (snacks), Take Aim Photography (professional photographs from the event), Chow Food & Beverage (50 percent of the proceeds from pizza sales), Clinton Parks & Recreation (purple dodgeballs), and Guilford Sporting Goods (trophies for the winning team).
First place went to Team Veneri, composed mostly of juniors at The Morgan School. A team of Morgan alumni took second prize.