Published in the August 31, 2017 edition.
WAKEFIELD RESIDENT Rafael Olmedo was honored at the fourth annual Boston Strong Invitational Basketball Tournament this year for his four years of service to the event. Olmedo, pictured here with Officer Sean A. Collier’s sister, Jen Lemmerman, helped organize the tournament, which connects Boston’s youth with police officers, in 2013. (Steve Karampalas Photo)
WAKEFIELD — Wakefield resident Rafael Olmedo was honored at the fourth annual Boston Strong Invitational Basketball Tournament which took place August 5-6.
The tournament, which Olmedo helped organize in 2013, is held every year at the MIT Rockwell Gymnasium, and honors the lives of MIT Police Officer Sean A. Collier, Boston Police Officer Dennis “DJ” Simmonds and all of the victims of the Boston Marathon tragedy.
New for this year was a youth division where youth players are coached by volunteer police officers and business leaders that sponsor these teams. The tournament combined the excitement of a basketball tournament with the joy of making a difference in connecting youths with police officers and business leaders.
The tournament was also a family event complete with police and fire department vehicles on display for all to see, a police K-9 demo, an outdoor cookout, live DJ entertainment, food trucks and more.
The event raised over $6,500 to be donated to the Officer Sean A. Collier Memorial Fund.
The families of both Officer Simmonds and Collier were present to help support the event.
