The Revere Celebration Tournament, formerly known as the Jared Ellsworth Tournament, is a tournament that celebrates the life of Jared Ellsworth. Ellsworth, a former Revere student, passed away from heart complications at the age of twelve. The tournaments website states that “while the name has changed the spirit of this experience will always stay the same; have fun, play hard and celebrate life.”

Since 2003 the tournament brings in teams from all over northeast Ohio for grades 3-6 for boys and 4-6 for girls. Betsy Brock, the new director of the tournament, explained its purpose.

“We want to create a positive experience which allows kids to play hard and have fun playing basketball. The Jared Ellsworth “Celebration of Life” Tournament began nearly thirteen years ago through the passion, effort and determination of parents Kathy and Scott Ellsworth in memory of their son Jared. This family’s dedication, as well as the commitment of the entire Revere community and the nearly 1,000 participating teams, has made this tournament, an annual success. While the name has changed, the spirit of this experience will always stay the same,” Brock said.

Volunteer director Vickie Coffey explained who can volunteer and some of the tasks the volunteers complete.

“There are several different volunteer roles [such as]: concessions, admissions, facility manager, scorebook and scoreboard. Some of the roles are ‘adult-only’ or ‘experienced-only’ positions. Students get volunteer hours for their time. There is a hospitality room at each school for our volunteers and referees as a place to take a break and get something to eat and drink,” Coffey said.

The popularity of the tournament helps fund the Revere Local School District. Brock explains how the funds help the district.

“Money raised from the tournament supports the Revere Men’s and Women’s Basketball Program, awards scholarships to senior basketball players, raises money for the Revere All-Sports Booster Club and for a charity to be determined by the Board of Directors of Revere Schools,” Brock said.

The Revere High School Basketball teams volunteer every year. Senior Camryn Brown explains why she volunteers in the tournament.

“I continue to volunteer at this tournament because of the message it promotes, the wonderful people that help out, and because it has had such an impact on me. I enjoy the basketball [games], and the company of the rest of the volunteers,” Brown said.

The Revere Celebration Tournament will continue its success with its thirteenth year of establishment. The tournament will always be in remembrance of Jared Ellsworth and the “Celebration of Life.” The tournament will last for three days, from February 25-28 at Revere High School and Middle School.