BREVARD, N.C. - Head men's basketball coach Lee Burgess and assistant coach Kaylin Johnson have designated tomorrow's home game against 13th-ranked Queens as a "red out" in conjunction with the American Heart Association's Heart Month, which continues throughout the month of February.
The issue of heart health is one that hits close to home for Burgess and Johnson, for whom tomorrow's game has special personal meaning. In 2009, Johnson was a student-athlete on the basketball team at Samford University, where Burgess was an assistant coach. In September of that year, fifth-year senior forward Jimmy Griffin passed away in his sleep of a heart condition that had previously gone undetected.
"Losing Jim was really hard on everybody," Burgess said. "Because he was in his fifth year, he knew a lot of people on campus, not just on the basketball team, and it was very difficult for people to cope with what happened."
News of Griffin's passing rocked the Birmingham, Alabama campus but sparked a passion for promoting heart health in Burgess and Johnson. Samford retired Griffin's No. 3 jersey and hosted its first "red out" game on February 11, 2010 against Elon. The game was the second-highest attended contest in Samford men's basketball history, and the team was able to collect over $2,200 to be donated to the American Heart Association.
"That game at Samford was a huge success and meant so much to those of us in the men's basketball program," Burgess reflected. "Keeping a memory of Jim alive is something that is very important for both myself and Coach Johnson."
Fans are encouraged to wear red to Saturday's game to show their support for heart health. The team will wear red shooting shirts during pregame warmups and sport red socks during the game. Burgess will swap his traditional blue tie for red neckwear on the sidelines, and many members of the table crew will have red attire as well.
The Brevard Athletic Department will donate 100 percent of proceeds from ticket and concession sales to the Jimmy Griffin Legacy Foundation, which collects funds through donations and an annual 3-on-3 basketball tournament. Now in its seventh year, the foundation is responsible for donating to the American Heart Association, awarding $110,000 in tuition scholarships, and funding facility upgrades at Griffin's high school, elementary school, and church in his native Chicago.
Fans interested in learning more about the Jimmy Griffin Legacy Foundation or making a donation can visit the organization's website by clicking this link.
