Family, Friends, and our Community Supporters,

We hope you and your families are all doing well and have had a safe and healthy year. It is hard to believe the Jacob Ranton Memorial Tournament is just around the corner. It was so incredible to return to the basketball court last year and we are excited to announce that the 9th Annual Tournament will be expanding to at least 24 teams. This year, the tournament will run Dec. 15th and 16th. We will continue our fundraising and awareness efforts in support of the Waterloo Region Suicide Prevention Council (WRSPC). Their messages of Hope, Help and Healing will be shared with the athletes and our community and we hope to support them in their mission to reduce suicide and its impact through collaboration, education, training and building a sense of belonging. If you would like to know more about their work and programming, please have a look at their website. (https://wrspc.ca/) We hope that our fundraiser helps them to continue the incredible work they do!

In the almost nine years since we lost our son, Jacob, this tournament and the WRSPC have been an integral part of our healing and mourning process. With the support of our family, friends, the basketball community, and the citizens of Waterloo Region and beyond, we have been able to raise over $370,000 for the WRSPC. We are excited to announce that Jacob’s Memorial teammate, Patrick Slaney, will be returning to the tournament this year with Gonzaga from St. John’s, Newfoundland. They were an incredible addition last year. We will also be continuing our tradition of bringing in an inspirational speaker to share their journey with the athletes. This year’s speaker, Parker Hanson, who was born without his left hand will share his struggle to overcome his disability and play professional baseball. His message of positivity shares light on mental health, faith, and overcoming obstacles. Please join us on December 15th at 10am at Waterloo Collegiate to hear this incredible young man. Come early as public seating will be limited. His talk will support our messaging that it is “Ok to not be OK” and that you are never alone.

We have learned over the last year and a half of being back to some degree of “normalcy”, that the pandemic has taken a toll on the mental health of so many. The work of the WRSPC is even more critical, as they continue to do amazing things locally and nationally to reduce the impact of suicide in our community and beyond. We would really appreciate it if you would consider donating to this wonderful organization using the link on item #1 of this auction. Please continue to give Jacob a voice by talking with your loved ones about their own mental health and please understand that you are not alone.

This online auction will begin on December 6th, and will close at 5:00pm on December 16th.

Looking forward to seeing you,

Love you to the moon, Jacob!

Doug, Sandra, Trevor and Jaclyn