Like most good things in life, a grassroots, positive effort started with a basic idea and grew into something more.

The whole motivation for the Burlington Veterans Memorial Tournament was simply to honor a fallen hero and pay respects to all those who came before him.

The annual event started as a way a to honor the memory of Burlington native Theodore “Tuc” Church, who was killed in Iraq on Memorial Day in 2007.

Proceeds from the tournament paid for the community’s veterans’ memorial when it was built in 2009. Since then the proceeds have been used to better the park.

Five years later, the basketball event continues to grow in size and also grow the number of soldiers from Burlington who are memorialized on the monument at the community park.

We applaud the organizers of the small community event for their commitment and dedication to a cause and also for the willingness to take a proactive approach within the region.

Chris Saunders and others have led the way and set a strong example of what can be accomplished with a vision to do something larger than an individual.

That is the type of spirit that drove each and every soldier whose name is engraved in the Burlington monument so it is only fitting that the same level of passion and heart has helped ensure they will never be forgotten.