Former high-school stars turn out for East Dundee charity tournament

The second annual Sean Toedman Memorial 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament in East Dundee served as a makeshift reunion for some of the area’s top talent over the past two decades.

The Sunday afternoon event held in Lions Park featured 26 teams, with money raised from the tourney headed to St. Judes Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.

Dave Schultz and his wife, Teresa, organized the event in honor of Sean, Teresa’s cousin who died of brain cancer at the age of 12.

Sean, the only son of Marianne and Warren Toedman, died just months after he was diagnosed in 1996. Marianne said one of the fears of many people who lose a child is that others will forget them as the years go on, but this event featuring her son’s name scrolled across hundreds of T-shirts, will ensure that does not happen.

“They’ve really had a tough road,” Schultz said. “It really means a lot to them to have something like this.”

Sunday’s sunny skies illuminated the heated matchups between old Fox Valley Conference foes and teammates, including a squad of players from Dundee-Crown’s 2009 team that made the Class 4A final four.

“Who doesn’t want to come out and play some ball?” said former Dundee-Crown star Jeff Beck, who currently plays at Lake Forest College. “You want to come out and compete, but obviously this is for a good cause.”

Other notable Dundee-Crown alumni who came out for the event included three-time Daily Herald all-area selection Mike McKibben and Graper Griffin, who drove in from Beloit, Wis., to play.

“I grew up out here. It’s just bringing back memories,” Griffin said between tournament games. “It’s nice to see. I didn’t know who to expect.”

Schultz hopes to donate about $4,000 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital this year with the help of a raffle that featured donated prizes such as sports tickets, a bag of golf clubs and multiple rounds of golf donated by area courses.

“When you give families hope like St. Jude’s gives families hope, that can turn this around for you,” Marianne Toedman said. “Families just need that so badly.”

Schultz said he plans on continuing the event each year for the foreseeable future, and hopes it will continue to grow as word of the high level of competition spreads.

“Some of these guys I haven’t seen in years,” said McKibben, who set the Dundee-Crown’s all-time scoring record when he graduated in 2000. “It’s just going to get bigger.”

The high school’s coach, Lance Huber, was at the park to support the cause and see his past and present players compete, including Schultz, whom he coached in 2003-2004.

“It’s nice to know the players you had are not only good players but have a good heart,” Huber said.