The third annual Terrence Clarke (TC5) Gift Back turkey distribution and basketball tournament that was held on Nov. 21 in the Vine Street Community Center was bigger than ever – with hundreds of turkeys distributed and an afternoon of exhibition hoops all in memory of the late Terrence Clarke of Dorchester.
He passed in 2021 at the age of 19, the victim of a car accident in Los Angeles where he was training for the NBA draft. He was expected to be a marquee pick after having had a standout season at the University of Kentucky.
“It doesn’t get easier from an emotional standpoint, but this year we did close to 600 turkeys and things were very organized and it wasn’t chaos,” said Russell Martin, a volunteer organizer. “We had so many young people that were helpful and taking charge and that’s the stuff we want to see happen with this event.”
Besides the turkey and food distribution, an exhibition basketball tournament featured a pee-wee game between Academy and Beantown Slam. A girls’ high school game featured Cathedral High vs. Cambridge Rindge and Latin, while the boys high school game featured Boston English vs. Brookline High.
A State Police trooper was on hand to talk about the importance of driving safely and securely, a key part of the event given the manner of Clarke’s death, said organizers.
–REPORTER STAFF
