CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A basketball tournament honoring a local young man who died from gun violence last year was held on Saturday at the recreation center behind First Baptist Church.
Matthew Martinez helped save multiple lives after the tragedy through organ donation. In the tournament, ten teams played each other in a three-on-three format. Their entrance fee combined with donations helped raise money during the inaugural basketball tournament.
"We've had lots of people come through here, lots of donations and lots of support from not just family and friends but just strangers," said Susan Puente, Martinez's grandmother.
After he died, Puente said that Martinez helped save five lives.
"He had made a very humane and responsible decision as such a young person," said Peter Sykes, a Southwest Transplant Alliance volunteer. "He had registered himself as an organ donor."
Peter Sykes explained that the five people Martinez helped were on a waiting list. He said that at least 110,000 people are currently on his organization's wait list and 10% are Texans. Since Martinez was an organ donor, Sykes said that they helped facilitate his wishes to help others.
"It's an opportunity to try to prevent other families from being in the same situation of losing a loved one who needs an organ transplant," Sykes said.
Puente said that the creation of annual basketball tournament was a perfect way to honor Martinez since he played basketball at Flour Bluff High School. She said at least $2,000 were raised for the church's youth programs against gun violence and the Nueces County Victims' Memorial Garden.
"We just want to raise awareness about youth gun violence and do what we can to try to prevent that," Puente said.
The tournament also increased organ donation awareness. Players and their families who were interested registered at the Southwest Transplant Alliance's booth. Sykes said that it is amazing that people are willing to help others even if they do not know them.