By Larry Fleming
larryfleming@daltoncitizen.com
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The 12th Make-A-Wish All-Star basketball games continue to prosper as a top-notch charitable event.
For that reason, the games have shifted from Christian Heritage School to Northwest Whitfield High this year.
“These games continue to grow,” said Louis Fordham, spokesman for the games. “Ron McKinney and Christian Heritage have been very hospitable over the past few years, but things were getting tight with the crowd and number of players. We’re going to have more room at Northwest.”
Fordham said more than 50 boys and girls have accepted invitations to play in the games scheduled for Saturday in Tunnel Hill. The girls game starts at 5 p.m. and the boys tip off at 7:45. A 3-point shooting contest is slated for 4 and a slam-dunk contest will precede the boys game at 6:45.
Admission for the games is $10 for adults and $5 for students.
“The money raised will come from admission, plus any other donations at the gate,” said Fordham, whose daughter Turner was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2005 and received a Make-A-Wish trip to Hawaii in 2007.
The Make-A-Wish Foun-dation, which was founded in 1980, grants “wishes” to children with life-threatening medical conditions. Trips to Disney World and Hawaii are popular choices.
Margaret Stockburger, who directed Northwest’s Lady Bruins to a school-record 29 wins and into the Class 4A state championship game this season, will coach Team Hawaii, which will have players from Northwest, Murray County and Gordon Central. Christian Heritage coach Heather Lowery will direct Team Disney with players from Christian Heritage, Dalton, Southeast Whitfield and Sonoraville.
Girls players expected to participate are Kathryn Green, Caty Nagel, Kirsten Greene and Bradley Townsend of Christian Heritage-Catoosa; Markisha Washington, Kate Houston and Shelby Whitfield of Dalton; Monica Mills of Gordon Central; Tember Marchant, Mariah Parker, Natasha Epperson, Lindsay Watts and Brooke Simmons of Murray County; Christy Robinson, Kelsey Kirk, Jordi Cook, Kayla Piorkowski, Baleigh Coley and Emily Trew of Northwest; Noelle Defoor, Morgan Partlow, Alicia Ray, Hannah Smith, Vicky Smith and Precious Townsend of Sonoraville; TaQuasha O’Neal, Whitney Napier and Haley Lock of Southeast.
Northwest coach Ryan Richards will coach one of the boys team with his assistants helping his squad and coaching the other team as well.
Boys expected to participate are Landon McClure, Terrell Wilson and Will Clark of Christian Heritage; Andrew Houts, Jake Bell and Ben Patton, of Dade County; Kelly Phillips, Shaquon Moore, Jesse Gonzalez, Jalen Fields and Tevin Collins of Dalton; Tyler Burse, Dimitri Miles and Brett Butler of LaFayette; Trey Everett of Gordon Central; Beau Booth, Will Ross, Seth Davenport and Luke Mealer of Murray County; Baker Chiddister, Michael Kelly, Ryan Logan, Alex Thames and Deon Washington of Northwest; Barrett Johnson, Trey Holt, Cory Skidmore, Martez England and Desmond Law of Ringgold; Ty Bonds and Jeremy Bishop of Southeast.
The all-star games were started 12 years ago by Heidi McKinney, Ron McKinney’s daughter, who was battling ALL — the same illness that would later strike Fordham — as a high school student at Southeast. She received a trip to Hawaii from Make-A-Wish and suggested the all-star games as a way to raise funds for the charity.
After 11 years in remission, McKinney relapsed in July 2007 and in the fall of that year received a bone marrow transplant from her sister, Hope. Now married, McKinney is doing well today.
Turner Fordham, a student at Westside Middle when she was first diagnosed with ALL, received treatment through her freshman year at Northwest while still maintaining a regular practice schedule with the Lady Bruins basketball program. Although she no longer plays basketball for the school, Fordham, a junior, is an avid golfer who helped lead the Lady Bruins to the Class 4A state title last spring.
