Live Like John Honors the Memory of Fallen Soldier John Pelham With Third Racquetball Tournament

PORTLAND, Ore. - Nov. 11, 2016 - PRLog -- The Live Like John nonprofit organization will host its third annual John Pelham Memorial racquetball tournament on December 3, 2016 at the Mutnomah Athletic Club in Portland. The tournament will pay tribute to fallen Specialist John Alexander Pelham and raise money for three organizations dedicated to improving the lives of veterans: The Military Racquetball Federation, The Green Beret Foundation and Live Like John. This third tournament also launches "Give Like John," an initiative to collect lightly used racquetball equipment and apparel that will be distributed to deserving youth and veterans to encourage them to get started in the sport.

John Pelham was killed in the line of duty on February 12, 2014 while serving in Kapista Province, Afghanistan, as part of the 2^nd Battalion, 3^rd Special Forces Group, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He is a well-known local Portland hero, admired for his sense of morality, his bravery and his commitment to serve his country. More than 1,800 local citizens attended his funeral when he passed at the age of 22. During his life, John excelled at school and in many sports, including racquetball, a passion he shared with his father who introduced him to the sport. John was a true racquetball enthusiast, thriving on the mix of physical challenge and mental dexterity that characterize this game. Three days before he passed, he wrote on his Facebook page, "I can't wait to play racquetball again."

"We were thrilled to see such a big turnout for our first and second editions of the tournament," said Wendall Pelham, father of fallen soldier John Pellham. "Our goal now is to take the Live Like John tournament to the next stage and make it a nationwide event by 2017. Veterans are national treasures. They have the potential to become the leaders of tomorrow. These individuals have shown an unbelievable sense of duty and volunteered to sacrifice their lives for their fellow citizens. The least we can do in return is to make sure that they have every opportunity to live a productive life when they come home."

His son's passing in 2014 was a calling for Wendall Pelham to help other military families. He created the Live Like John foundation, a nonprofit organization with the mission to help veterans and their loved ones transition from military to civilian life. Wendall is also actively involved with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) research and believes that racquetball could help people suffering from PTSD by teaching them how to cope with gunshot-like sounds and re-associate such sounds with an enjoyable activity.

The entry fee is $35 for the first event and $15 for a second event, limited to 100 registrants. The tournament will include singles and doubles divisions for all levels. Lunch, tournament t-shirts and other unique mementos will be provided for registered players. Additional donations from players and non-players are also welcome. Registration for the tournament is available at: http://www.r2sports.com/tourney.asp?TID=18756.