The KB Strong Foundation has donated $ 30,000 for glioblastoma and brain tumor research at the University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria. The gift is from personal donations, community organizations’ fundraising efforts, and proceeds from The Kevin Brown Memorial Tournament of Champions basketball tournament held at Washington Community High School in November.
The funds will support research in Peoria where physicians and laboratory researchers are working to better understand brain cancer. Their work focuses on advancing knowledge, improving techniques, and finding solutions to impede tumor growth and to create more effective clinical treatments and better patient outcomes.
The KB Strong Foundation is named in memory of Washington Community High School head basketball coach Kevin Brown, who lost his battle with brain cancer, specifically glioblastoma, in June 2019. The tournament was re-named The Kevin Brown Memorial Tournament of Champions in honor of the beloved coach.
“Coach Brown was a fierce competitor. His basketball teams had this same attribute. Today Coach is leading a new team, KB Strong, which will continue to fight the fight against glioblastoma. And like Coach’s great basketball teams, we need as many role players as possible to make a difference in defeating brain cancer,” said Eric Schermerhorn, KB Strong Board Member and Washington Community High School head basketball coach.