Welcome to the 15th Annual
2015-2016 Randi Perkins JV/Varsity Girls Basketball Tournament
2015-2016 RANDI PERKINS TOURNAMENT NOTES
TheFox Girls Basketball Program Would Like To Thank The Following People Who Have Made This Tournament Possible:
PRINCIPAL: Dr. RYAN SHERP
ATHLETIC DIRECTOR: NICK GIANINO
ATHLETIC ASSISTANT: SHERYL EARLS
HEAD BASKETBALL COACH: SCOTT CLEER
BASKETBALL GIFTS: THE LEWIS FAMILY
CONCESSION STAND: SUE AUBUCHON
SILENT AUCTION: PARTICIPATING TOURNAMENT TEAMS
HOSPITALITY ROOM: FOX PARENTS
SPONSOR: LIONS CHOICE
SPECIAL THANKS TO THE THERESA LEWIS AND THE “KIDS HELPING KIDS CHARITY’
Dear Players, Fans, Parents and Coaches,
Welcome to the 15th edition, 1st at Fox High School, of the Randi Perkins Invitational Tournament. Fox takes pride in continuing a traditional started by Coach Cleer at Marquette in 2000. The event has become a celebration of the life of Randi Perkins and the battle she fought and the subsequent example she set for all of us to live our lives by. Please take the time to read about Randi’s story here in this program and also on the website devoted to Randi’s memory at: .There are many ways to donate to the cause on the site and you can also help out by bidding on the gift baskets in our gym lobby this week with all funds going directly to the “Kids Helping Kids’ charity.
While this tournament’s higher-reaching goals include the aforementioned remembrance of Randi Perkins, it’s also a chance to gather together for some outstanding mid-season girl’s hoops. We think we have assembled a tremendous field at both the varsity and JV levels and sincerely hope that it’s a treat for fans and parents to watch; but also a chance for our teams to get a gauge on their progress and a means to propel them for the rest of their season.
Sportsmanship is a chief part of what we attempt to be about at Fox. Please keep that in mind as you interact with your fellow fans, towards opposing teams and coaches and most especially to the fine men and women who have committed to be officials for our athletes.
If we can be of any help or aid in your experience and enjoyment of your time at Fox this week, please ask myself or any of our school officials and host coaches for assistance. Once again, we are glad you are here and hope everyone has a great week. Best of luck to all our teams!
Nick Gianino
Assistant Principal/Athletic Director
Kids Helping Kids
Randi Perkins Scholarship
Randi Perkins continues to encourage and support those that knew her, as well as those who have come to know her through the media. Randi loved life, and she chose to live it without the limitations that cancer attempted to place on her. She defied all odds and fought hard to maintain normalcy in her life. Randi had a sassy attitude, and she showed us all how to push through obstacles that tried to hinder her way of life.
Through the encouragement of many Marquette teammates and friends, Randi was reminded daily that she would not have to be alone in her fight. Randi hated what cancer did to her life and through her defiance of this disease she vowed to continue fighting this fight from a different and more powerful angle. Randi’s competitive attitude would not allow her to give up, and she wanted an awareness of these deadly cells to be passed on to as many people as possible.
Friendship was very important to Randi, and it was Marquette’s incredible support system that enabled Randi to stay strong through many tough times. Randi’s goals were much like any other 16-year-old girl. She wanted to play sports in college and eventually coach and teach others the importance of team play. When Randi learned that her fight would have to continue on after she was gone, she wanted a scholarship to be created for a female athlete attending a post-secondary school. This girl need only have a love for sports; she didn’t have to be the star-just a girl that enjoys and appreciates the opportunities that women’s sports provides. There were many days that Randi got out of bed because she had a basketball or softball practice; her love of team play was the best medicine prescribed to her.
Randi’s dedication to athletics was the inspiration for a scholarship. In Randi’s name, a charity “Kids Helping Kids, Limited,” was established to award the Randi Perkins Scholarship. This charity awards scholarship(s) each year to female athlete(s). Recipients include: Stacy Arnson, Nicole Johnson, Lexa Burton, Lindsey Smith, Olivia Conlon, Kelli Mattison, Kirsten Walz, Emily Summer, Shannon O’Toole, Kristina Tuaccuci, Eileen Luebbe, Lauren Fairfax, Rachel Wallers and Lauren Bohnert. Please visit for application information. As “Kids Helping Kids” grows, other programs are developed to expand cancer awareness among teens and the importance of peer support for those kids working through difficult times. Programs that support athletic activities helped Randi get through her life with a positive attitude and Kids Helping Kids continues that mission for her. If you wish to help and join us in this mission, feel free to contact Theresa Lewis (Randi’s Mom) at 211 Jacob Lane, Ballwin, MO 63021. Checks can be made to “Kids Helping Kids, Ltd.” and are tax deductible.
Who is Randi Perkins: “Fighting From a Different Angle”
“Things happen for a reason.” We know through experience that things do happen, but we don’t always know why. Why are there illnesses? Why are there accidents? Why do loved ones come into our lives and in the blink of an eye are taken from us? They are gone. We are left with the memories, and along with those memories are countless hours of asking ourselves and one another, “Why?” And we still, years later, have no answers.
A typical teenage girl also has questions about some things. “Which guy likes me? What will I wear on Friday night? How am I going to wear my hair? What car will I get when I turn 16?” On the other hand, some things she should not worry about. “When will I schedule my chemotherapy and radiation treatments? When will I go shopping for something to cover my bald head? Will I be able to get out of bed tomorrow?
Those were the questions of Randi Perkins. At the age of 13, Randi was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer: undifferentiated sarcoma. She went through surgery, chemotherapy treatments, surgery again and radiation therapy. For three years her life was consumed with hours upon hours spent in a hospital. Randi began her sophomore year of high school with thoughts on how she was going to live a “normal” high school life, despite the nagging questions she faced daily.
What were her answers to all this? Randi maintained a 3.5 GPA, played select softball, high school softball and basketball, all while having extensive doses of chemotherapy and radiation. She defied the odds and was doing what doctors told her she physically would not be able to do. Most importantly she was living the life she wanted; she was typical teen, not wanting and not allowing her illness to interfere in how she was going to live.
After a three year battle, cancer took Randi’s body but not her spirit. She never lost her will and her love for life. She wanted to make a difference in the lives of others, and she still is. Randi’s 16 years of life have left an imprint on all who were given the opportunity to know her, and she has touched the lives of those who have merely heard her story. Randi believed in life, and she lived it with courage, determination, strength, hope, and love. Her fight, as Randi put it, is far from over.
“…I have not lost, but will fight from a different angle…”
Kids Helping Kids, Ltd. Randi Perkins Scholarship Fund was established in February 2001 and is a non-profit organization in the continuation of Randi’s request “…to help the kids.”
Let us, as she did, put aside our nagging questions. Help us help Randi fight “from a different angle” and fulfill her request “…to help the kids.”
Founded in 1967
A unique restaurant concept and business venture was started by our founders, Marv Gibbs and Clint Tobias. The idea was to open a quick serve restaurant that served freshly-prepared sandwiches made with high-quality top round beef, slow-roasted every day in the store. They wanted to offer an alternative to the burger chains. The original name was Brittany Beef, but they quickly changed the name to Red Lion Beef House.
The first store was located in Ballwin, MO and was an instant hit.
Two years later they opened the second store in Creve Coeur, MO and changed the name againto Lion's Choice. For over four decades, Lion's Choice has stood for high quality, nutritious, real beef sandwiches, and great service.
What makes Lion's Choice legendary?
It's thegreat-tasting REAL BEEF sandwich. Customers love our real, roasted beef sandwich, cooked medium, made to order, sliced thin, and served hot with a dash of secret seasoning on a buttered and toasted bun. The result is a moist, tender sandwich that is always hot, healthy, tasty, and keeps loyal customers coming back for more.
Check out these pictures from our archives.Please send us your pictures and memories of Lion's Choice.