A benefit basketball game between the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity at HopeCollege and the Holland Police Department will be raising funds for the children of Lori and Ken DeKleine of Holland.
The game will take place on Tuesday, April 22, at 7 p.m. at the college's Richard and Helen DeVos Fieldhouse. All proceeds from the event are being donated to a fund for the children's education.
Lori DeKleine was found murdered at her home on Thursday, Jan. 10. Her husband, Ken, a Holland police officer, has been arrested for the murder and is scheduled to stand trial in July.
The couple had a daughter and son at home. The fraternity has organized the benefit as a way of supporting the children, according to Matthew Day, a fraternity member who is the event's coordinator and a sophomore from St. Clair.
"A tragedy like this hits home, and we wanted to try to do something," Day said. "Hope is a part of the community of Holland, and we thought of a community as being like a family. This event is people helping people, a community family helping its members."
Holland Police Chief John Kruithoff said, "The DeKleine tragedy continues to be very painful for the affected families as well as the HPD staff members and we very much appreciate the care, concern and support offered by the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity and HopeCollege for the DeKleine children. This event will continue to help with the future financial needs for the children."
Tickets for the event are being sold on a donation basis for $3 each - although if purchasers choose to pay more the additional amount that they spend will be contributed to the fund. In addition to contributing the ticket proceeds, the fraternity has also been obtaining additional monetary support for the fund from local businesses.
As an added incentive to encourage audience attendance at the game, Day noted that a variety of area businesses, organizations and individuals are contributing items that will be available as prizes during the event. Contributions from the college, for example, include a one-year membership to the Dow Center and signed basketballs from the college's MIAA-championship football and men's and women's basketball teams.
Entertainment during the game will include activities involving children and students in the crowd and a halftime show. The organizers plan to present a check to a representative of the family at the game's conclusion.
The game will be announced by Dean Kreps, who is head football coach and associate professor of kinesiology at Hope, and fraternity member Taylor Fox, a sophomore from Canton. The refereeing team will include Dr. Scott Vander Stoep, who is associate professor of psychology and chairperson of the department, and Holland police officers.
The college's Tau Septaton Chapter of the national Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity was chartered in 2003 and has 40 members. The fraternity was founded in 1873 at the University of Massachusetts, and now has 86 chapters and a total of 118,000 members nationwide.
The DeVos Fieldhouse is located at 222 Fairbanks Ave., between Ninth and 11th streets. The ticket office, which is located in the building's front lobby, is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can be called at (616) 395-7890.
Tickets will also be sold at the door on Tuesday, April 22. In addition, Hope students will also be able to purchase tickets outside of the Phelps Hall dining hall during meal times.