Lakeshore Foundation hosts 30th Pioneer Classic

Like many good things in life, the Pioneer Classic had humble beginnings. 

The wheelchair basketball tournament began in 1987, with the help of Jo Fowler, the founder of the event; Frank Burns, a former athletic director for the Lakeshore Foundation; and the AT&T Pioneers, an organization of volunteers who work to help local communities. Their first tournament hosted four teams in the Wallace Gym, a small gym in the Lakeshore Rehabilitation Hospital.

"I think Frank said, 'Let's have a tournament and bring some education to the community,' basically," Fowler said. To make the event happen, Fowler began fundraising each year through a golf tournament with the goal of raising $10,000. Any time she was unable to meet that goal, she said the AT&T Pioneers would step in to help. "The past few years have been difficult," Fowler said, but the AT&T still donated to help her reach her goal.

In 2001, the Pioneer Classic was ready to make the jump from their original court to their current home, the Lakeshore Foundation. When they first moved, a gym in Kentucky hosted another large tournament each February. "At that time, the players considered it to be the best tournament in the country. I wanted to beat [their tournament] so bad I couldn't stand it," Fowler said. "And I did."

They chose to have the Pioneer Classic just before the tournament in Kentucky as a way to unveil their new home, which had three full-sized basketball courts and a surrounding track. "When the teams went to Lexington that year, all they could talk about was Pioneer," she said. 

The tournament has gone on to be one of the only of its kind in the country, hosting teams of children as young as 6 years old and teams of adults throughout the weekend.

"We looked at it as an opportunity for the young players to see the older players, and the older players to be able to mentor the younger players," Fowler said. Damian Veazey, associate director of communications, said that during the weekend of the tournament the gym is filled with families and younger players.

"It's truly grown and grown," he said. "Everybody looks forward to it."

In addition to celebrating the 30th anniversary tournament, the Pioneer Classic is also honoring Fowler, who is the last member of the original "Pioneers" who started the event. For half of her life, she has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in support of the tournament and Lakeshore's Ability Fund and has educated countless people on the sport of wheelchair basketball. While this is her last year helping with fundraising, she said she is going to continue as a volunteer for the tournament. "I will [be here] until it's called the Jo Fowler Memorial Classic," she joked. "I'll still always be here."

This year's Pioneer Classic has 19 teams from all over the country and over 150 athletes scheduled to play over three days, and Fowler said that the event has gotten so big that they have a waiting list for both teams and referees each year. Even if someone can't play, however, Fowler still said they should come out to watch the athletes, some of whom have played in the Paralympics.

Veazey said that the Foundation works with local hospitals to invite children and adults with physical disabilities to watch the athletes play and to learn more about the sport and other recreational activities that may be available to them.

"I just want people to know that it is an educational experience that's fun," Fowler said. "Especially for the kids."

The Pioneer Classic will be continuing from Jan. 13 to Jan. 15 at the Lakeshore Foundation with games starting every hour and a half from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, and all concession sales go the the Lakeshore Ability Fund.

The Foundation's next event is the Demolition Derby Wheelchair Rugby Tournament that will be from Feb. 3 through Feb. 5. For more information, visit lakeshore.org