Building African American Minds, Inc. (BAAM) will host the first ever Wardell Brice, Sr. Memorial Basketball Classic on Saturday, October 29, 2022. Proceeds from this charity event will benefit BAAM’s scholarship fund and summer youth basketball program.
Spearheaded by BAAM board member and nephew of the late Wardell Brice, Sr., Lance Wilson, this event is being held to honor the memories of Brice, as well as Korzon “Kori” Brooks, both of whom lost their lives to tragic automobile accidents 25 years ago, a month a part.
“Planning this charity basketball game is something that just felt like it needed to happen. With the 25th anniversary, the timing felt right,” said Wilson. “My former coach Richard Guy [of Guy Concrete Construction] has actually been wanting to honor Uncle Wardell for quite a while now. He was a father figure to him. I just did my part to make it happen.”
This event will feature individuals who played AAU basketball for the Eastern Shore Athletic Organization (ESAO) Hoop Stars as middle and high school students. The Hoop Stars were supported by Mr. Brice and Brooks was a member of the team more than 25 years ago.
“Mr. Wardell and Kori symbolized the relationship we as coaches wanted to build with our players; a caring adult and a player with great character on and off the court. Mr. Wardell was one of the first to support the ESAO AAU Basketball Program. His generosity enabled us to create a foundation for the organization that flourished. I also enjoyed talking with him whenever I went to the barbershop for a haircut,” Dr. James Bell, BAAM’s director of instruction, academic support and community wellness and former ESAO coach. “He was a great man who loved the kids in his community. Kori was a great young man with a great personality. I recall seeing him interact in the halls with other students and on the court with other players and everyone loved him. The two of them are still truly missed.”
Sponsors of this event include Dean’s Janitorial Service, JACK Construction, DM Services LLC, Guy Concrete Construction, the Eastern Shore Back Giving Fund, Cardinal Construction, Nixon
Transportation LLC, and Brice Property Maintenance. Uniforms for the event were designed by Not a Phase Clothing.
The charity basketball event will be held at Easton High School on October 29 at 2pm. Doors open at 1:30 pm. Tickets for this family event are $5 each and free for children 12 and under.
About BAAM
Building African American Minds, Inc. was founded in 2005 to provide young African American students with social-emotional and academic support and resources. The mission of BAAM is to assist school aged children in achieving the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to become productive and responsible citizens. This will be accomplished through programs that emphasize academic tutoring as well as social and emotional learning. In 2019 BAAM opened the doors to its 25,000 sq. ft. Academic Center located on Jowite Street in Easton and plans are currently underway to construct an Academic Center to support the organization’s growing community programs and services. For more information about BAAM visit www.baaminc.org.
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