Joshua L. Holmes Classic returns for year two

The Joshua L. Holmes Classic returns for it's second year to raise money for families suffering from cancer.

EL CENTRO (KYMA, KECY) - Five years ago, the El Centro community lost a beloved member, Joshua Holmes, to a rare form of cancer. In his memory, his family established the Joshua L. Holmes 3v3 Basketball Classic, an annual event dedicated to honoring his legacy and supporting families facing similar struggles.

Trinity Holmes, Joshua's daughter, understands firsthand the challenges of living with a loved one battling cancer.

"It was really, really hard living with someone who you know might not make it," she shared. "I love helping people, so helping people going through the same things that I went through makes me feel really good."

Last year, Trinity created the tournament to serve as both a fundraiser and a celebration of Joshua's life. The innagural tournament saw a tremendous turnout, with 41 teams participating and raising over $5,000 for charity

"I knew we had support, but seeing the support that we had was amazing," Joshua's mother Rose said. "Just to know how much he was loved and just how much the community cares about the community."

Beyond basketball, the event allows participants to learn about the man behind the cause.

"They went to go play basketball, but they went to learn about how my dad was and who he was. That made me feel really happy," Trinity said.

With the success of last year's event, the Holmes family and organizers are aiming even higher for this year. They expect over 60 teams to participate and hope to double the funds raised to provide greater assistance to families in need.

"We have a community that is admired," said Wilbur, a supporter of the event. "Everybody knows somebody that has cancer or had cancer. So when you see somebody that has that, you want to try and help as much as possible."

Rose remains optimistic about the impact they can make. "I think we will do well, but whatever we raise, it's something. And that is what we look forward to. We can give. We have a couple of families right now that could really use assistance."

Among the teams hitting the courts this year will be one led by Trinity herself

"Playing again this year will be even more fun because I have an all-girls team and we are best friends," Trinity said. "We are probably going to dominate and do really good."

The 2nd annual tournament will tip off on Saturday, April 12. For more information on how to sign up or donate please visit here.