CHAPTER 60

Murray took as much time as possible driving back to Durham. He was in an even worse funk and the thought of spending another night with his parents in a gloomy household was not appealing. Over dinner, he described his trip to Charlottesville and the lunch with Gary Gaston. They were amazed at Sooley’s plans to extricate his family, big plans that had not been shared with them.

July Fourth came and went with no hint of a celebration around the Walker home. Jordan was there for a few days but not even she could lift their spirits. On July 6, Murray drove to Charlotte where the first round of the international showcase was being held. Ecko would be there with his latest installment of young South Sudanese talent. Central’s new head coach, Jason Grinnell, would be there, along with Lonnie Britt, no doubt watching Ecko’s players more closely and hoping to discover another star.

He found them at the Spectrum Center, home of the Hornets, and they invited him to the coaches’ suite to hang out with their friends. There was a lot of talk about Central’s miracle run to the Final Four, and Murray enjoyed the attention.

That night, over a long dinner with the three coaches, they tried hard to talk about anything but Sooley. It didn’t work. All four men were deeply wounded and still stunned by the loss. Each took turns telling stories of how friends and strangers had reached out to them and offered to help. Sooley had thrilled the basketball world and touched many people, many of whom were still eager for some connection to the kid and his remarkable story. Jason Grinnell said that the Central program had received over $50, 000 in small gifts from fans everywhere. Ecko’s program had also received many small gifts to support players in South Sudan.

He said, “Sooley still has millions of followers on social media. I check it all the time and some of the comments almost make me cry. ”

Jason said, “I tried to look too, but it’s overwhelming. ”

Ecko said, “Here’s an idea, Murray. You should try to capitalize on Sooley’s popularity. Why don’t you consider starting a foundation in his name with the proceeds going to something like humanitarian relief for our people? ”

Lonnie added, “Great idea. I’ll bet you could raise a fortune. ”

Jason said, “And how about a few bucks for dear old Central? ”

Murray said, “How do you start a foundation? ”

Ecko said, “It’s easy. Everybody’s got a foundation. The one I work for has some lawyers who’ll guide you through it. All you need is a mission statement, a cool website, and somebody to run it. It doesn’t have to be fancy. Post the link on Sooley’s social media and I’ll bet you’ll get an amazing response. ”

“Don’t you need IRS approval? ” Lonnie asked.

“Sure, but you can get started as that is pending, ” Ecko replied. “I’ve heard the lawyers talk about it. I’ll bet your mother knows the ropes. Her Legal Aid is a nonprofit, right? ”

“Oh yeah. You never hear them talk about profits. What’s the mission? ”

Lonnie said, “It could be three-fold. First, humanitarian relief for refugees. Second, to support youth basketball in South Sudan. Third, to raise money for scholarships in Sooley’s name at Central. ”

Ecko said, “The three of us can serve on your board, along with anyone else you want. We’ll see how much money comes in and decide how to give it away. ”

Jason smiled and whistled and said, “This could be huge. ”

· · ·

For the first time in memory, Murray arose early the next morning and hustled back to Durham. He bought sandwiches and took them to Ida’s office for a working lunch. Typically, she was skeptical of any idea or scheme that tried to profit off Sooley’s name. He objected to the word “profit, ” and she apologized saying she had used the word carelessly. Of course, there were no thoughts about making money. She had not seen him so engaged and excited since he and Sooley had returned from the draft in New York. She suggested that they discuss it with Ernie over dinner and sleep on it. That was all the approval Murray needed.

Borrowing from the funds that Sooley had borrowed from Arnie, a loan that so far had not been mentioned by the agent, Murray spent $4, 000 on a website design, $2, 500 on legal advice, and $2, 000 on a nineteen-year-old kid who ran his own company specializing in online marketing. He opened a bank account, rented a post office box, and read with discomfort the proposed bylaws and IRS regs sent over by the lawyer.

On July 19, one month to the day after that horrible Sunday morning at the Acropolis, The Sooley Fund was launched. The website featured a beautiful color sketch taken from Murray’s favorite photo of his friend. There was Sooley, with the ball held high over his head, and a wicked smile on his face, soaring high above the rim for another rattling dunk. There were photos of the refugee settlements, the starving children, of healthier teenagers playing basketball on dirt courts, and a tribute to the great Central team that had so captivated the sports world. The website and social media pages were linked to each other in every way possible.

By midnight of launch day, over 50, 000 viewers had visited the site and 11, 000 had sent money, a total of $148, 000. Murray forced himself to close his laptop and he tried to sleep. By noon the next day, the money was at $305, 000 and the deluge was on. The Fund was going viral.

Sooley’s popularity was astonishing. His tragic death only heightened the public’s desire to help in some small way. The comments and condolences were overwhelming and poured in with the money.

After seventy-two hours, more than 100, 000 people had paid by credit card, with the average gift at about $8. After four days, the Fund topped $1 million and Murray was giving interviews.

He sent a long memo to his board—Ecko, Lonnie, Jason, and Ida—and described in detail Sooley’s desire to extricate his family and his plans for doing so.

With the board’s approval, he called Gary Gaston.

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