Lori Letto started the Dennis Squires Memorial Tournament in memory of her brother, who died from suicide in 2018. (Henrike Wilhelm/CBC) For the basketball players shooting hoops at the Mount Pearl High School gym Sunday, it was about more than just winning. It was a competition for a good cause.
For the fourth time, athletes from across the metro region came together to play in the Dennis Squires Memorial Tournament. The event was estabalished by Lori Letto, in hopes of keeping alive the memory of her late brother Dennis Squires, who died by suicide in 2018, while sparking conversations about mental health. "Dennis was a natural athlete, but his passion was basketball," Letto told CBC News.
"And this was a great way to take a passion and love of his, and turning it into something more meaningful." Letto said the tournament has also been a gift for her family in the wake of her brother's tragic death. "He was a great friend and a teammate to so many.
And so, this has been fantastic for our family as well for Dennis's memory. But it's also been a great way to keep a lot of Dennis's past teammates as well connected." Twelve men's teams took part in the tournament, which ran from Thursday to Sunday.
While the event started out with many of Squires's past teammates, said Letto, new players have started joining, carrying on his legacy. Hoops and hope part of 2nd annual Dennis Squires Memorial Tournament "A lot of the younger players coming on have been asking like, 'Who was Dennis.
