Bobcat family raises money for BHS basketball player
Helping with a heart
October 25, 2016
When something tragic happens to a Battlefield Bobcat it affects the whole community. Bobcat nation is a family full of support and kindness. Bobcats will band together to make sure the affected get all their needs met, no matter if it is financial funds or just emotional support. So, when it was made public that one of Battlefield’s varsity basketball players junior Kojo Bonsu had a heart issue earlier in the summer that lead to him currently needing an immediate heart transplant, the community jumped in to help.
Kojo has attended Battlefield all three years he has been in high school. As well as gone to the local middle schools, so the community is very familiar with him. Basketball is his passion and he is excellents at it. Though, with this heart condition, Kojo can no longer can fully participate in his passion. His basketball career is currently put on pause. Juniors Darrell Tchamedjeu and Julian Washington are two of Bonsu’s best friends. When Mr. Bonsu told these boys that Kojo was in the hospital, they got over there to visit as soon as they could. “I just want him to get better soon,” Washington says.
The community wants to have nothing but support for the Bonsu family during this time. Junior, teammate, and friend, junior Austin Estridge and his dad put together a Go-Fund-Me page for the Bonsu family. “I’ve been playing basketball with Kojo since we were really little, so when we found out he was on the waitlist for the transplant we thought we would help out and get as much as we could before he gets called in,” comments Estridge. As of November 1, 2016, the page has raised just over 7,000 dollars, on its way to the 100,000 dollar goal.
Sport and Health, the local gym in Gainesville, where Kojo and his friends usually go to play basketball, held a 3-on-3 tournament to help raise money. This fundraiser was meant for kids of all ages and had a huge turnout. Fellow classmates, teammates, and friends from the community came out to support Kojo.
“Kojo is my brother, I hope he feels better and I am always going to be there for him,” Tchamedjeu admits. To help show your support for Kojo and his family through this difficult time, feel free to donate to the go-fund-me account link below.
