Jeff Capel Jr.’s basketball legacy lives on within the struggle in opposition to ALS
Jason Capel isn’t letting his father’s legacy fade.
The late Jeff Capel Jr., who died in 2017 after a battle with ALS, positioned an emphasis on doing greater than teaching basketball.
“After I was a child, I at all times seen my dad signed autographs with the phrases ‘assist others’ beside his identify,” Jason Capel stated.
For the final 5 years, Jason has teamed up with the USA Basketball Affiliation to host basketball camps that elevate consciousness and donations for the Jeff Capel Jr. Fund at Duke College.
After a two-year hiatus attributable to COVID-19, the USBA Capel Camp returns to Fayetteville State College on Sept. 17 within the gymnasium named for the household patriarch, Felton J. Capel. The camp is open to girls and boys grades 3 to 12 and can run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
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“That’s what this (camp) is about: serving to others who’re preventing this illness or those that could also be impacted by it straight or not directly sooner or later,” Jason stated.
“We wish to discover a treatment. That was my dad’s goal as soon as recognized with ALS, and that grew to become my household’s mission since his passing. And it’s fairly particular to have the ability to do it in an enviornment which is known as in honor of my grandfather … with each my grandfather’s and pa’s photos hanging on the partitions on the place that my household calls residence.”
A four-year participant at North Carolina, Jason is now vp of improvement with the USBA and an assistant coach at Pitt underneath his older brother, Jeff Capel III.
However it began in Fayetteville at Seabrook Park, throughout the road from Capel Area. It was a no brainer for Jason to convey again the camp to “the neighborhood that helped form me, whereas hopefully elevating cash to assist defeat ALS.”
“Fayetteville will at all times be residence. It’s the place the journey all began for my household,” Jason stated. “. … It’s at all times good to have the ability to give to the neighborhood.”
The late Jeff Capel Jr. coached and served as athletics director at Fayetteville State earlier than making the leap to the NBA as an assistant. He was recognized in March 2016 with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s Illness. The illness assaults the nerve cells within the mind and spinal twine, and has no recognized treatment. He died Nov. 13, 2017.
After the prognosis, the USBA partnered with the Duke ALS Clinic in Durham to start out the Jeff Capel Jr. ALS Analysis Fund to assist efforts to discover a treatment.
“Up to now, with all of the completely different occasions and beneficiant donations through the years, sure we’ve got been capable of elevate a considerable quantity of funds towards analysis,” Jason stated.
“My household is immensely grateful for that. The objective is to be an influence for optimistic breakthroughs in analysis every year till we discover a treatment.”
Jason’s camp aids that mission. His former UNC teammates, Ed Cota and Kris Lang, together with ESPN analyst Chris Spatola and USBA president Mark Thompson, will probably be among the many camp administrators subsequent weekend.
Registration for the camp is being carried out on-line at USBAHoops.com. For info, name 704-649-6812 or electronic mail [email protected].
“It’s actually 5 hours of enjoyable, laborious work and pleasure that, hopefully, will final a lifetime for the youngsters,” Capel stated.
“. … Any donation is appreciated irrespective of how massive or small. All of it goes on to an important trigger – which is to assist to sooner or later elevate sufficient cash to help in analysis being made to treatment this lethal illness.”
Employees author Rodd Baxley might be reached at [email protected] or @RoddBaxley on Twitter.
