Brandon Jackson Scholarship Basketball Tournament Aug. 13

A basketball tournament to benefit a scholarship named in honor of  John Muir High School student Brandon Jackson, who was shot and killed in February, has been set up for Aug. 13.

The tournament will take place at from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.  Teams and individuals can sign up by contacting Debra Williams at 626-791-4271 Ext.302 or 626-808-5382 (cell) or email to debrawilliams@sbcglobal.net.  Existing teams are welcome, as are individuals who want to join a team, Williams said.

The scholarship is in honor of , a 17-year-old Altadena resident who was shot and killed in February.  The scholarship will benefit local students headed for college starting this fall, according to Williams, who is a youth pastor at the , which supports the scholarship, along with the Clergy Community Coalition.

The group is still looking at students to use the scholarship to support, Williams said.  The minimum GPA is 2.5, and the idea is not necessarily to give the money to the best overall student, but rather to a promising student who has turned his or her academic career around after a slow start, much as Brandon Jackson had.

"We want to target kids who have made a decision to make that change," Williams said.

Fee Benefits Scholarship

Teams that enter the event are required to pay $150 as an entry fee to benefit the scholarship, but any teams that cannot afford that should contact Williams--she may be able to find sponsors to cover the fee.

Adults who would like to make a contribution to the fund can also contact Williams at her listed phone number or email address above.