• Hoops For Heroes Photo Gallery
A total of 20 military veterans and their families were honored this past weekend at the OVC Basketball Championships through the 4
th annual Hoops for Heroes program.
Before tip-off of Friday night’s men’s semifinal game at the OVC Basketball Championships and again before the men’s and women’s championship games on Saturday, several military service men and women were brought to center court and honored for their service. During each presentation, the honorees received a long, standing ovation from the crowd as they received a handshake from the Commissioner and were recognized.
Every single OVC member institution was represented by having at least one Hoops for Heroes honoree at this year’s tournament. Eastern Kentucky was able to honor the most veterans by sending four service men and their families to the tournament, while both SIUE and Tennessee Tech were able to honor three veterans and Eastern Illinois was able to honor two veterans.
UT Martin’s honoree, Jenny Harrison, is a 13.5 year veteran of the United States Army and currently works in the university’s Student Health & Counseling Services department. Harrison was really grateful for the recognition and honor, “I think it’s a great thing, I feel a little guilty accepting it because it is such a nice honor. I feel like there are a lot more veterans that deserve the recognition more than I do but it’s an honor that they recognize any military service member. I mean it’s a great thing because after you have been out of the military, you serve and get out and it’s pretty much forgotten but except by yourself. It is nice to know that it is important to other people and that they do other things too...I mean the recognition is nice enough but you get the hotel, all the food, and the gas. It’s really, really a nice package.” Harrison appreciated what UT Martin’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) has done for her, “I am very proud to represent the United Sates Army as well as all former and present military service members. I want every member of the SAAC to know how much I appreciate their gift. I feel very pampered and appreciated!”
Matthew McNew, Tennessee State’s honoree, after being asked about his overall thoughts on the Hoops for Heroes program immediately following his on-court recognition, said, “It was really neat, the recognition at the Tennessee State game, getting in touch with Jennifer (Gibbs) and being sponsored by Tennessee State to be able to come to the OVC tournament, and then tonight’s recognition. It was really nice, all of the appreciation was really cool and the way it was done is very unique.”
Another honoree, Morehead State’s Emily Curry, spent four years in the National Guard before becoming active duty in the United States Army and was deployed in Iraq for 15 months. Curry and her family have gained national attention through a recent
New York Times article as Emily’s father and five of her brothers have also been deployed overseas, while every single family-member has served at one time with the Idaho National Guard. Morehead State’s SAAC was able to send Curry to the OVC Basketball Championships by raising over $1,000 through holding a "Penny Wars" competition between each sport. "Our athletic department is so grateful to everyone who donated money this year," Morehead Sate’s Assistant AD & Senior Woman Administrator Sara Larson said. "We had terrific participation from a wide variety of people on our campus. Emily and her family have an incredible story. They are true heroes and don't get enough credit for the sacrifices they have made on behalf of our country.”
Hoops for Heroes is an initiative that was created jointly by the Ohio Valley Conference and SAAC’s at member institutions in order to honor military men and women in OVC communities. During the course of the academic year, the SAAC members at each school raise money through various ways to sponsor sending at least one service man or woman, along with his/her family, to the OVC Basketball Championships in Nashville. Each school’s SAAC chose its veteran in their own way but every honoree was recognized prior to the tournament, either during a home basketball game or other related event at the campus of the school that sponsored him or her. All honorees received a two-night hotel stay in Nashville, up to four tickets to Friday and Saturday’s tournament sessions along with gas and meal gift cards.
2014 Hoops for Heroes Honorees
Austin Peay -
James Guerin
Belmont -
Mark Labbe
Eastern Illinois -
Michael Walker, Jacob Fryman
Eastern Kentucky -
Robert Barger, Joshua Burch, John Frost, Joe McQuerry
Jacksonville State -
Corey Garmon
Morehead State -
Emily Mae Curry
Murray State -
Robert Bell
Southeast Missouri -
Lori Moore
SIUE -
George Humm, Seth Boner, Amanee VonderHaar
Tennessee State -
Matthew McNew
Tennessee Tech -
Jason Smith, Chris Walters, Scott Botts
UT Martin -
Jenny Harrison