Tournament Raises Money for Diabetes Research

By Bill Rosenberger

Two years ago, 31-year-old Grant Pattison passed away after succumbing to Juvenile Diabetes.  o­n January 15, his friends Tracee Clepper and Devin Kennedy held the second annual Grant Pattison 9-Ball Tournament not o­nly to raise money for research but to also raise awareness.  The event was held at Moose Lodge 761 in Carlisle, PA, at the same lodge where Grant was a member.

Grant and Devin met at a pool hall when they were 14, and they were always seen playing pool together afterward.  "We were always partners in the scotch doubles tournaments," said Kennedy.  "If you saw o­ne of us, you were going to see the other, too."

Grant was an avid pool player, competing in many house leagues, including the Moose Lodge, the Eagles, T.A.P., and he was a former member of the APA.  He was upbeat about the game and about life.

The 2004 event raised nearly $10,000 and had a field of over 100 competitors.  But this year's event o­nly drew 52 because of another pool tournament going o­n nearby.  Although the numbers went down, the important thing is that money was raised, and someone's life might be touched by the donations.  "We still did pretty good," Kennedy said.  "We're at twenty-seven hundred, and we still have donations coming in." 

The top three 9-ball finishers were Jim O'Hara, Tad Glossner, and Irwin Hess, and each of them donated a portion of their winnings back into the donation fund.  Besides their generous offerings, other area businesses also chipped in with gift certificates and donations, including the Moose Lodge; the 720 Café; and White Circle, which is a private club in Carlisle.

All of the money raised will go to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in Grant Pattison's name.  The 2006 date is scheduled for January 14 at Moose Lodge 761, and for more information, go to www.gpmemorial.org. 

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