#TeamToma plans 'Biggest Loser' event in Addison
More than 100 people who support "The Biggest Loser" contestant Toma Dobrosavljevic will gather at Addison Trail High School Thursday for a group photo on the football field, followed by a viewing of the NBC weight loss competition show in the auditorium.
The public is invited to attend both events. People will gather for the photo at 6 p.m. The show begins at 7 p.m.
Dobrosavljevic, 33, a former Addison Trail athlete who now lives in Bloomingdale, has developed a cult following since first appearing on the show last month. His fans call themselves #TeamToma, and his sister has already given out 200 T-shirts featuring the slogan plus Dobrosavljevic's face in an Andy Warhol-styled design.
"I thought it'd be really cool to be able to get us all together, in an effort to show we're supporting him," said organizer Jamie McGowan, his girlfriend of three years.
Dobrosavljevic started the show weighing 336 pounds, and is now under 275 pounds. He's on the "White Team," being trained by the new trainer, Jen Widerstrom of Lisle.
Longtime friend Graem Kubin, of Oswego, is proud of how Dobrosavljevic's representing his hometown and high school on national TV.
"He really is an amazing guy. You won't find one person that speaks otherwise of him," Kubin said.
"The Biggest Loser" is filming in California, and Dobrosavljevic is still in the running for the $250,000 prize. However, he's cut off from email and the Internet. Family members haven't seen him in months, and can only communicate with him through handwritten letters. They plan to mail him Thursday's group photo.
"(In his letters), he says, 'I can't believe I'm here,' and I can't believe he's there. If anyone deserves the opportunity, it's him, and he's definitely not letting it go to waste," said McGowan, an accountant at Millman, Fogel & Carlson in Palatine.
"The Biggest Loser" has had many contestants from the suburbs over its 10-year run, including two winners - Bartlett's Michael Ventrella and Wheeling's Danni Allen.
Dobrosavljevic, who works as a project manager at 5 Star Engineering in Chicago, applied for the show online and was called for an in-person interview during the April auditions at The Biggest Loser Resort in Itasca. He was motivated to lose the weight, in part, by a promise he made to his late father.
Longtime friend John Gaudiuso, of Bloomingdale, said Dobrosavljevic's father was a big influence in his life. A Serbian immigrant, he raised Toma to be kind, humble and always willing to help out a friend.
After his father's death, friends watched as Dobrosavljevic packed on the pounds, a situation made worse by night shift jobs. Watching him get back in shape on national TV has been "motivating and surreal," said Gaudiuso.
"All of us care a lot about Toma. It's more than just a TV show. It's someone you know and love," he said. "Getting everyone together like this, it's going to be fun."
Follow the event on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/382989581859060/.