Arlington Little League: ALL News: Remembrance - Benjamin Memmott
Friday, October 23Remembrance - Benjamin Memmott
Arlington Little League Family --
Benjamin Memmott passed away last Wednesday, October 14, 2009. A Memorial Service in celebration of his life will be held on Sunday, November 8 at 2:00 PM at:
Arlington Traditional School
855 N. Edison St.
Arlington, VA 22205
Ben was 11 years old, but he confronted his 2007 diagnosis of and treatment for brain cancer with a strength, maturity, and courage well beyond his years. I only had the privilege to meet him a few times, but those characteristics came across loud and clear. The following quote about Benjamin's indomitable spirit and his love of sports comes from the National Brain Tumor Society website, www.braintumor.org --
"Throughout seven weeks of daily radiation and chemotherapy, Benjamin did not miss a single day of school. He played basketball through the winter and baseball through the spring without missing a practice or game. Just one day after infusions, Benjamin struck out so many batters that the umpire presented him with the game ball."
I don't have the scorebook from this game, but I wouldn't doubt the validity of that claim for a second. Ben was an inspiration to his teammates, his coaches, and, I'm sure, many of his opponents as well. I was inspired by, in particular, his determination to walk in the DC Race for Hope every year following his 2007 diagnosis. I would visit the website (www.braintumorcommunity.org) every morning and watch the total amount of contributions grow and grow. Ben had set an ambitious goal of raising $3,000. He raised $36,264.76 instead.
Many of you contributed to this effort as the Memmott family raised close to $55,000, which is why I felt compelled to share the following note from his father.
"Dear Friends and Family,
As some of you already are aware, Benjamin's heroic battle with brain cancer ended late Wednesday night. Although we send this message with indescribable sorrow and a profound sense of loss, we are comforted by the knowledge that Benjamin is at peace, by the wonderful memories that he helped us create, and by the impact that he had in the short time that he was here—his immeasurable courage and stubborn determination opened the hearts of and inspired an entire community in a way that none of us ever could have anticipated.
It has been impossible for us to acknowledge individually the countless acts of generosity and kindness that have been extended to our family during the past two years, but please know that we forever will be grateful. Without all of you, we would not have been able so successfully to support Benjamin in his long struggle with this terrible disease.
We plan to celebrate Benjamin's 11 years with us at a memorial service in Arlington in the next few weeks. We will send further details once they are finalized. For those of you in the DC area, however, please feel free to stop by–our front door is open and we'd love to see you.
Finally, donations in memory of Benjamin may be sent to:
The Brain Tumor Institute
Children's National Medical Center
Attn: Tracy Church
801 Roeder Road, Suite 300
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Scott, Gina & Abby"
My best wishes to all of you.
Adam Balutis
President, Arlington Little League