The 17th annual Mitchell “JJ” Anderson All Star Basketball Camp is moving forward this year without the man who helped found and carry on the event.
The free four-day camp allows kids ages 8 to 14 to learn how to play basketball. It also offers some basic health and hearing screenings and nationally known speakers.
Peoria native Dana Davis was instrumental in getting the sponsors needed to make the camp free. The former Vice President of the Memphis Grizzlies died last October.
Former NBA head coach and former Bradley Basketball Coach Dick Versace spoke about Davis at the kickoff luncheon for the event. Davis was Bradley University’s basketball manager under Versace.
Versace says he recognized Davis’ talent early on. “You could ask him to do something and it didn’t matter how big or difficult the job might be. He never said, well, gee, who do I talk to, or where do I go, or what button do I push? He just went and got it done,” Versace says. “It was amazing.”
The newly named Mitchell JJ Anderson and Dana J Davis All-Star Basketball camp begins Tuesday. About 400 kids are registered.
There’s also open enrollment beginning at nine in the morning at the Peoria Civic Center.