59 reasons to celebrate Hoops for Hope
The event took place Saturday, Aug. 22, and had its biggest turnout ever.
The event began as an Eagle Scout service project for Farragut High School graduate Trey Sexton back in 2007.
Sexton said he was approached by Tennessee and the Down Syndrome Awareness Group about bringing back the event for a second year in 2008. Since that time, the event has now become an annual event at Farragut. It usually takes place in the late summer.
In 2026, the event played host to 59 children and young adults with Down Syndrome.
“This thing gets bigger every year,” said Farragut High School athletic director Donald Dodgen. “We had 59 kids this year and that’s the most we’ve ever had.
“I look forward to this every year and it’s an honor for us to host this. You can come in here and be in a bad mood and then you leave here feeling good. This is a feel-good day.”
The event gives the Vols and Lady Vols hoopsters the opportunity to play basketball and interact with special-needs athletes. For Rylie Theuerkauf, who will soon begin her first season with the Lady Vols after transferring from Georgia, the event was special.
“Meeting all the kids and coloring with them, making them laugh, things like that, it’s not even about basketball, it’s just about talking to them and being with them,” said Theuerkauf, who is an education major with aspirations of a teaching career. “This is special and I love this.
“My dad is a special
education teacher back home in (New) Jersey, and I would like to do something like this back home.”
Tennessee men’s assistant coach Bryant Lentz said that he and the Vols are honored to participate in the event.
“This is a great event,” said Lentz, who is in his ninth season at Tennessee on head coach Rick Barnes’ staff. “This is special for the kids but I think our guys get more out of this than they do.
“For me personally, we’re very blessed to do this and help players and we have a good group of guys.”
Photo courtesy of Jack Tate
