COMMERCE TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A youth basketball league honored their teammate who died last summer with a fundraiser and tribute at their game in Commerce Township on Saturday.
10-year-old Carson Dunn died last July when he fell off of a floating play structure in the water at Camp Dearborn, what Michigan State Police have called an accident.
Seven months later, his teammates and coach miss him dearly -- they kept his memory alive at a game at Oak Valley Middle School in Commerce Township on Saturday.
Dunn’s team launched a scholarship and they sell candles that smell like his favorite food, chocolate chip pancakes, at their games to raise money for it.
On Saturday, the team invited the 10-year-old’s mother for a special tribute. They presented her with a special jersey and photo.
Read: 10-year-old boy dies after falling from floating play structure at Camp Dearborn, police say
The team’s coach, Brian Kennedy, says he loved coaching Carson. “Anytime he stepped foot in the gym he had a huge smile on his face from start to finish,” Kennedy said. “He had the time of his life out there.”
Coach Kennedy says the death of their teammate took a toll on all of them. “We had about 90% of the team actually go to the funeral,” Kennedy said. “It was really hard, especially at that age, because his teammates didn’t quite understand fully what that was.”
The scholarship in Carson Dunn’s name will help families pay to participate in the league. Within the first week of fundraising, they raised enough money to sponsor four children.
For more information about the scholarship or to donate, visit Huron Valley Recreation and Community Education’s website by clicking right here.