Eric Smalls Memorial Tournament returns for ninth year
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - A memorial basketball tournament in honor of Eric Smalls returned at Augusta Prep.
Smalls died in a car accident in 2015, he was just nine years old.
To mark the anniversary, his mother Frankie Simon hosts a memorial basketball tournament in his honor.
“It brings so much joy to me, it lets me know that we can find triumph out of tragedy, the end of life can start out with something positive,” said Simon.
Eric loved playing basketball, especially with his friends on the United Elite Warriors 3rd grade team. To give the gift of joy basketball brought Smalls, with a tournament in his honor, is special for Simon.
“Just the opportunity that the kids get to, on a Saturday, be able to play sports in a gym, with a referee, we tell them don’t take it lightly, because there’s so many kids that are just playing in the neighborhood. They get to play an organized sport, with a uniform, with their friends. So to do that, in memory of Eric just makes me overjoyed.”
This year Eric would have graduated high school within the Richmond County Public School System.
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