TOLEDO, Ohio — The Rockets women's basketball team is honoring a University of Toledo student with a game dedicated to her memory and in support of the work being done to empower the community to prevent tragedies like the one that took her life.
The Toledo Rockets women's basketball program is teaming up with Justice for Sierah for its second "Justice for Sierah" game on Saturday.
Sierah Joughin was a student at the university and a member of Alpha Kappa Psi when she was kidnapped and murdered by a convicted violent offender while riding her bike home in rural Fulton County in 2016. She was 20 years old.
Joughin's family has been working for years to keep her memory alive by advocating for the adoption of Sierah's Law, and starting the Justice for Sierah nonprofit organization and Sierah Strong programs.
The game has a special meaning for everyone involved.
"This cause hits home. She was a student, they're a student. We don't want anything like this to ever happen again. And so it means something, not only to us as coaches, but to them," Toledo women's basketball head coach Tricia Cullop said. "They lost a peer. We do want to protect everyone possible, not only on our team but on our campus and our community."
There will be several opportunities to support Justice for Sierah and promote community safety. Families will be able to create KidPrint IDs for children during the game on the main concourse of Savage Arena. The IDs offer vital information in case of an emergency to help law enforcement locate missing children. To pre-register, visit the Justice for Sierah website at this link. The KidPrint IDs are free of charge.
The Toledo Rockets women's basketball team will wear custom "Justice for Sierah" white and purple jerseys for the game, symbolizing Joughin's favorite color. The jerseys are up for auction at utrockets.com/JFS until Jan. 29, with proceeds going to Justice for Sierah.
During the game, the organization will also recognize University of Toledo College of Business students who have previously received scholarships in honor of Joughin, who was a business major at the university. WTOL 11 anchor Melissa Andrews will introduce the honorees in support of Justice for Sierah.
The Toledo women's basketball team will take on Buffalo at 7 p.m. Saturday at Savage Arena.
To further support the organization, Justice for Sierah will receive $5 from each ticket purchased at fevo-enterprise.com/event/JusticeforSierah.
If you cannot make the game but would like to be involved with Justice for Sierah or participate in future events, visit justiceforsierah.org.
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