Those who knew my son, Gordon, knew he was a tremendous hugger. Now understand, Gordon did not go around hugging everyone all the time. Gordon was a very reserved person, but when he hugged you, he meant it. The hug is what prompted me to write this post.
In March, we hosted a two-day lacrosse tournament here in Atlanta for Gordon’s Mental Agility Foundation, with people from all over the country coming to honor Gordon’s legacy and help raise money for mental health. There are so many people to thank, so please bear with me.
To begin, I would like to thank the players, coaches, parents, fans, and officials from all the teams that participated: Christian Brothers (Memphis), McCallie (Chattanooga), Mountain Brook (Birmingham), Charlotte Catholic (Charlotte), and all of our local teams: Pace (Gordon’s alma mater), Pope, Lovett, Blessed Trinity, Oconee, Cambridge, and the girls’ and boys’ teams from Fellowship Christian School. The competition was fierce, and everyone really enjoyed the core message - Take Care Of Your Crew.
Hugs were plentiful. In the stands, on the sidelines, and at midfield with our honorary coin flippers at the start of each game. And more hugs at the banquet we hosted in our clubhouse after the last game was finished for many of the people that we, as a family, had not seen since we lost Gordon.
Two of my high school buddies, Vinny Pariso and Bob “Woody” Kerzner, made the trek from Long Island (Go West Babylon Eagles). We were also graced with my great friend, Frank Cecere, and “Team Eight,” where we all played high school football. Dennis Gaddy, a great basketball player from high school, also attended. My wife, Mary Jo, and Dennis were good friends growing up, and it was so nice to see him.
Kevin Forrester and Charlie Obermayer - Gordon’s mentors in the officiating world - came in from Baltimore, along with my manager at USA Lacrosse, Steve Kirr, who is also a very close and dear friend. Kevin, Charlie, and Steve have been rock-solid during our time of need, and the prayers, support, and love they have shown us are immeasurable.
Throughout the weekend, Mary Jo wore Gordon’s officials jersey, and we hung his college officials jersey on the sidelines at the scorer’s table. 
Don Stoppenbach, my friend for over 25 years, ran the show from the press box, along with Scott Ferraro. Don also wrangled people from the former US Lacrosse Youth Council, which I was part of for ten years, to join. For many years, the Youth Council was the backbone of our sport, helping grow the game across the country.
The Youth Council members were and still are terrific ambassadors of the game: Patty Brooks (Dallas), Mellisa D’Angelo (Long Island), Abby Burbank (Vermont), Tucker White (Florida via Baltimore), Noel Ebner (Upstate New York), Joanna Thomashefski (Michigan), and Maria Badalamenti (Atlanta). Seeing the smiles on their faces over the weekend was tremendous and it brought back some wonderful memories.
The event was supported by all of my players and their parents, who coordinated ticket sales, concessions, parking, and cleanup. And my special thanks to our Head of School Dr. Kathryn Teston, Athletic Director David Lowery, Assistant AD Andy Trevers, Maureen Boomhouwer, Cheryl Wade, Tori Mauldin, and Rebecca Hurd.
Appreciation also to all of our vendors: the Bearor Family, Haynes Family, and Elphick Family for setting up shop in our vendor village and running the silent auction. We’re still adding up the final tally, but between ticket sales, officials' fees, auction items, and donations, I believe we raised close to twenty thousand dollars for the Mental Agility Foundation.
So, back to the hug.
Mary Jo and I have seen literally thousands of kids and their families come through Atlanta Youth Lacrosse over the past 27 years. Gordon and my daughter, Caitlin, were around the sport from a young age and it’s where they learned a great deal about work ethic and how to do things on their own. Mary Jo, who is a carpenter, had our youth players build many projects over the years at Murphy Chandler Park and Windsor Parkway, as part of the STARS (Students That Accept Responsibility) program.
Seeing all these young people at our event who had played, officiated, and coached with us through the years was so awesome. Hugs were given out all day long.
As I mentioned earlier, when you got hugged by Gordon, he meant it, and all the hugs that we received meant so much to us. Quite frankly, it’s what keeps us going each and every day. You all mean the world to us, and I can’t wait for the next time I to see you and get that next HUG!
Please consider donating to Gordon’s Mental Agility Foundation so we can continue to help people with their mental health.
