The Rocket

Issue date: 11/20/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Chelsey Rovesti Remembrance bracelets displaying Ben Swantner's initials were sold at Boozel Dining Hall Tuesday.

Media Credit: Chelsey Rovesti A 3-on-3 memorial basketball tournament will be held Dec. 5 in the ARC. The goal is to raise money, awareness and remembrance of Ben Swantner.

Several times a day, friends and family members are still leaving messages of remembrance on the Facebook page of Ben Swantner, the SRU student who died this October due to Meningitis.

The legacy and memories of Swantner are not going away anytime soon, and Shelby Hebner, a senior math major, is making sure of that.

Hebner has headed the effort to create the Ben Swantner 3-on-3 memorial basketball tournament, which will help remember the late student and raise money for Swantner's family and the scholarship created in his name.

"I just felt like I had to do something," Hebner said.

"I wanted to do something that would allow everyone to remember him and something fun the campus can do to carry on his legacy," Hebner said.

The tournament, which will be open to men and women, as well as the public, will be held at 9:30 a.m. Dec. 5 in the Aebersold Recreation Center.

"The goal is to help raise money for the scholarship fund, as well as for his family," Hebner said. "I want to show during hard times people can come together."

The price for entering the tournament is $20 for teams consisting of at least one SRU student, and $25 for teams without an SRU student.

Teams may have a maximum of five players and a minimum of three.

"We've gotten a lot of feedback, mostly of people and teams that really want to play," Hebner said. "I'm really excited. I think we will have a great turnout."

In order to help raise money, concessions will be provided on the day of the tournament, which will be donated by Pepsi.

Additionally, Meningitis bracelets will be sold, which were paid for by the sisters of Gamma Sigma Sigma to ensure that all of the profits will go to the family and the scholarship fund.

Some students see the decision to play as an easy one.

"Yes I am going to play in the tournament for sure," said Jake Hunter, a sophomore criminal justice major. "It was such a tragedy losing him, so this is such a great way to raise money and awareness about the situation which struck really close to home."

Hunter said that he appreciates the effort of Hebner in trying to raise money for the scholarship fund because it goes to something Swantner believed in - education.

"To have the money go into a scholarship fund for someone that was an education major is a great idea," Hunter said.

Donations are being accepted at the door, as well as from local businesses of the area.

Hebner said that even with the costs of advertising, they have received enough money that all of the profits made from the day of the tournament will go directly to the family and the scholarship fund.

For Katie VanCampen, a senior history major, the tournament is something that will help the family as much as it will help remember Ben.

"It's a great idea to commemorate his life," VanCampen said.

"He was always someone that was involved and was always smiling. This also helps the family too, which I think is important.

They are still going through a tough time I'm sure."

The overall feeling of being able to remember a lost friend in early December has a lot of people excited.

"To have his memory preserved throughout this event is a wonderful thing," Hunter said. "It will raise money, and awareness, and most of all remember a fellow student."

The pre-registration deadline is Nov. 23, but late registrations will be accepted until Dec. 1. VanCampen said that she believes the event will be a success.

"People have been talking about the tournament," VanCampen said. "It's going to be great. I think the turnout should be amazing. I think this event has the potential to be something very special."

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