BREVARD, N.C. - Last week's "Red Out" men's basketball game against Coker was a rousing success.
Through its collection of revenue from ticket and concession sales, the Brevard College athletic department will make a donation in the amount of $314.25 to the Jimmy Griffin Legacy Foundation, an organization that promotes heart health through working with the American Heart Association and several other schools and organizations.
The foundation was started in honor of Jimmy Griffin, who was a teammate of assistant coach Kaylin Johnson at Samford University and played under current Brevard head coach Lee Burgess during his tenure as a Samford assistant. Griffin passed away in his sleep in September of 2009 from an undetected heart condition, rocking the Samford community and leaving a lasting impact on Burgess and Johnson.
"Jimmy touched so many lives, not just ones in the basketball world," said his mother, Marge, who was instrumental in the founding of the Jimmy Griffin Legacy Foundation. "He was a devoted son, brother, cousin, friend, and teammate to so many people who are simply devastated at his passing. He left a lasting impact, and their lives will never be the same."
Coaches Burgess and Johnson took part in the first "Red Out" game at Samford, held on February 11, 2010 as the Bulldogs hosted Elon. Samford raised $2,200 for the American Heart Association and played in front of the second-largest crowd in program history. The coaches elected to host Brevard's first-ever Red Out in February in conjunction with the American Heart Association's Heart Month to help promote heart health awareness in the Brevard community.
The foundation begun in Jimmy's honor has distributed over $200,000 since its inception. A large amount of the funds have gone to the American Heart Association, while other allocations have gone to schools and churches that were instrumental in his life. The foundation also sponsors a scholarship at Samford.
In addition to receiving money through donations, the foundation hosts a 3-on-3 basketball tournament every year in Jimmy's hometown of Chicago that also features a skills camp and a raffle drawing. The sixth edition of the annual event, called 3 on THREE for Jimmy G, will take place on March 14.
"Jimmy's Foundation has started a ripple, albeit a small one, but this ripple effect is starting to circulate around the country and around the world," said Marge Griffin. "The Foundation's proceeds have benefited all of the schools and the church he attended in scholarships and in program improvements. His name is on the lips of the little hoopers who attend his event. He is remembered in Red Out games in Alabama and in Brevard, North Carolina. Jimmy's ripple effect is gaining momentum."
"Thank you to Brevard College and especially to Coach Lee Burgess for remembering Jimmy," she continued, "because he is so worth remembering. I just know he's giving his "famous nod of approval" at what's going on in a small college campus in North Carolina."
Click here to learn more about the Jimmy Griffin Legacy Foundation.
