Breanne's Work Lives On
Whatever Breanne Mahon did, it was almost always for others.
In her days at Kellam High, Breanne worked with her teammates on the softball fields and volleyball courts, as well as those at a cheerleading gym in Virginia Beach. During her time at Virginia Tech, she taught youth swimming. She helped raise funds for HIV/AIDS testing, and for an organization that provides eye care to underprivileged families.
A biology major looking toward the pre-med program, Breanne was ready to take her assistance to a new level after her Hokie days ended - she intended to head to South Africa to help with job training programs. But tragically, it's a chance she'll never get.
On Jan. 5, just one semester into her college career, Breanne and her friend Jimmy Roberson were killed in a car accident in Norfolk.
But for the dozens of participants in the first (and hopefully annual) softball tournament held in her memory on Saturday and Sunday at Kellam, they could feel Breanne looking down from above - and knowing that they were continuing the job she didn't get the time to do. Because of Breanne, some of her fellow Kellam students will get some extra help starting their own Tech careers
"(Breanne) would have loved it," said her sister Kirsten, herself an alumnus of Kellam and Tech. "She loved people coming together and having a good time. When I walked out into the parking lot and saw the cars and everyone, I was very impressed, very amazed, and very grateful that all these people came out."
Nine teams played 14 games over the two-day event, as money came in from registration fees, raffles, T-shirt sales, and donations. Many of Breanne's friends and family members showed up - Kristen's team took second in the tourney - as well as alumni from Tech and Kellam.
"It was real sad," said Kellam teacher Chris Worst of the time immediately following the tragedy. "I had her in class. She was a great girl, full of life. Even when I didn't have her, she'd come by and say 'Hey coach, how are you doing?' But one thing about Kellam is that Kellam rallies around its people, its students. Just like today, we had teachers, coaches, former students, it was awesome." His squad, the not-quite-aptly-named 'Worst Team,' took the top spot in the event.
"It's always fun coming out here," said Worst's teammate Gary Jackson, a Kellam grad. "The number one reason for coming here was the cause, and the second was to have a good time."
As the event came to a close, fund totals were tallied. Over $3,000 had been raised for Breanne's scholarship fund to donate to a student from Kellam heading to Virginia Tech (the actual honorees had not been determined by late Sunday).
"Everything my daughter did was to help somebody else," said her mother, Sandy. "The community support has been tremendous; there's nine teams of friends and family, playing over a dozen games, going on 20 hours of play, all because they just loved her and wanted to do something in her name, her legacy."
