Gallery I Video
PORTLAND, Ore. --- Players from the Portland Pilots men’s and women’s basketball teams joined together with UP student Sam Bridgman and the Oregon Disability Sports Blazers to raise funds to combat Friedreich’s Ataxia. Sam Jam 2011 raised a total of $6,305.35 in a wheelchair basketball game Tuesday night at the Chiles Center, highlighted by Bridgman delivering both a riveting halftime speech and a buzzer-beater shot at the end of the game.
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Pilots try out a different kind of fastbreak
By Cliff Pfenning, oregonsports.com
Original Article
It didn't take long for players on the University of Portland men's and women's basketball teams to take to liking wheelchair basketball Tuesday night.
They just weren't very good at it.
Playing the experienced Oregon WheelBlazers, the Pilots got trounced 32-10 in the opening 11 minutes, but still showed off wide smiles as they took part in the 2011 SamJam at the Chiles Center.
The athletic department, in conjunction with Oregon Disability Sports, produced an exhibition game in support of junior Sam Bridgman, a team manager for the baseball team who is afflicted with Friedreich Ataxia, a rare neuromuscular disease that progressively attacks coordination. The event raised more than $5,000 [Editor’s note: including on-line donations, $7,140.35 has been raised as of 11/10] with proceeds going to the Friedreich Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA).
Bridgman was diagnosed with Friedreich Ataxia as a freshman in high school and it has progressively limited his mobility, which has made his commitment to being part of the athletic department inspiring and helped attract a crowd of nearly 400 for Tuesday's event.
Bridgman spoke for seven minutes about his condition at halftime of the game. He scored three times, attracting the largest cheers of the evening.
"It was a wonderful night," he said afterward. "I'm very grateful for all the support that people showed by attending and donating money to help find a cure."
None of the basketball players had ever played from a wheelchair.
"It was definitely a lot harder than I imagined," said senior Nemanja Mitrovic. "But, it was fun to do this for Sam and get an opportunity to bring some awareness to his disease."
"It was hard with all the pushing and then turning," said ReZina TecleMariam, a senior on the women's team. "It's hard to shoot not being able to use your legs. But it was great to do this for Sam and for his cause. I hope we can do it again."’
The Portland basketball program begins is regular season this weekend with the women playing host to Montana State at the Chiles Center Friday at 6 p.m. The men's team plays Florida Atlantic Saturday morning during a tournament in Seattle.
The Pilots' baseball team is set to play its first home game Feb. 21.
