Adult/High School Basketball 3 on 3 Tournament to Benefit A.L.S. Research.

Tournament Raises Funds and Awareness of Lou Gehrig’s Disease

A YMCA adult/high school basketball 3 on 3 tournament will be held the weekend of Saturday, March 20th through Sunday, March 21st at the Far Hills Country Day School, 697 Mine Brook Road, Bernardsville, NJ, beginning at 9:00am. The tournament will take the format of a round robin with a champion announced the afternoon of Sunday, March 21st.

Registration for the event can be completed online or by submitting a registration form at the Welcome Centers before March 13th 2010. Forms and payment should be submitted to Michael Surella and checks should be made payable to Somerset Hills YMCA. The cost of participating in the event is $75 per person or $150 per team, which includes a t-shirt per player, and is open to members and non members. All skill levels are welcome and teams will be grouped by age and gender where possible.

This is the first year that the tournament is being held and is being organized in honor of Charlie Dourney, a longtime Somerset Hills YMCA member, accomplished athlete and a coach at both the recreation and high school level in the Somerset Hills area where he lived for over 40 years. Sadly, Charlie passed away November 2nd, 2009, due to A.L.S., (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), a disease also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. All proceeds will benefit ALS research.

“My father’s passion was to promote the love of sports among both the youth and adults in our community. He faced this disease with the same strength and courage that he brought to everything in his life, even as it robbed him of his ability to speak and walk. People know little about A.L.S., or Lou Gehrig’s, so the event will not only raise money to support A.L.S. research, but will also raise awareness of the disease and its effects on victims and their families,” said Donna Dourney, Charlie’s daughter and Director of Community Sports at the Somerset Hills YMCA.

For more information about this event, please contact Michael Surella on 908.766.7898 ext 1519 or teamsports@somersethillsymca.org.

Four Life Savers Are Recognized at the Somerset Hills YMCA

L to R: Nick Adamo, of Basking Ridge; Stephanie Ronco, of Bernarsville; Bob Raymar, of Watchung and Chairman of the Board of the Somerset Hills YMCA, Robert Linzey of Edison; Patti Palla of Millington; and Graciela Quintana of Bedminster.

On December 3rd, 2009, Robert Linzey of Edison collapsed as he went to get water from water fountain whilst playing basketball at the Somerset Hills YMCA. At that moment, a Somerset Hills YMCA CPR trainer and nurse by profession, Patti Palla of Millington, was exiting a classroom having just finished a training class and found him. Someone ran to the front desk and alerted staff. Nick Adamo of Basking Ridge was Manager on Duty, who grabbed the AED and ran to his aid. Another staff member, Stephanie Ronco of Bernardsville, and Graciela Quintana of Bedminster, a YMCA member and also a nurse, assisted.

Patti Palla administered CPR with intermittent relief provided by Graciela Quintana. By the time the paramedics arrived, he was stabilized and transported to MMH. Since then, Robert has had heart surgery and came out of hospital 2 weeks ago.

Awards were presented to 4 life savers at a very special awards ceremony at the Board of Directors’ Meeting at the Somerset Hills YMCA on Wednesday, January 27th. Robert, his wife Allison, his family, and their many friends and colleagues, attended the awards ceremony where there were many tears of gratitude, relief and affection.

 

Their award read:

 

'On December 3rd, 2009, you saved a life. Your heroic actions are an inspiration to all. The Somerset Hills YMCA is so proud of you.'