By Elaine Van Develde
It's a way to help the young living with learning disabilities and depression while keeping the memory of Rumson's Jay Dooley alive, and it's approaching its third year this weekend.
It's the Jay Dooley Memorial Foundation 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament.
Slated for July 19 and 20 at Holy Cross School in Rumson, the event combines fundraising for the cause with the game of hoops Jay Dooley loved.
Dooley was afflicted with attention deficit disorder (ADD) and depression. By overwhelming accounts, he had an enigmatic, loving personality that has been sorely missed since he took his own life on Aug. 24, 2009 at 29, a column in the Asbury Park Press said.
So began the Jay Dooley Memorial Foundation in 2010, founded by Jay's family and dedicated to helping families who have children with similar learning disabilities and depression get the often costly diagnoses and help they need.
The foundation also pushes for more increased awareness and classroom help and guidance for educators of those with special needs.
“We miss Jay dearly,” said Jerry Dooley, Jay's father and foundation president in a release on Patch. “The JDMF Annual 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament is an occasion when we can summon the strength to gather as family, friends and supporters to celebrate a sport that meant everything to Jay, as he was everything to us. Today we honor Jay by raising funds to help kids facing the same challenges he experienced.”
A 1998 graduate of Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH), Jay Dooley was also a student at Forrestdale School and Holy Cross in Rumson, where basketball love and skill flourished. He scored more than 1,000 points at RFH as a varsity player for three years.
After RFH, Dooley attended Monmouth University on a full basketball scholarship. There, he was a member of the 2001 Hawks. The team played Duke University in the NCAA Tournament's first round.
"Jay was an athlete by design and n artist at heart," a friend was quoted saying on the foundation's website. "We go forward with Jay in our minds and in our hearts."
Check the website for more information by clicking here.
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