They came to remember their friend, son and brother at a rural softball complex just outside Guelph on the weekend.
The third annual Karri Oksanen Memorial Softball Tournament took place at the Ponsonby Recreation Complex, with 150 of his family, friends and people that never even met him getting together for a great cause.
Karri Oksanen, 22, was a popular John F. Ross graduate and outstanding baseball and hockey player who died tragically in 2012 when he was hit by a truck on York Road.
“It’s really a community-type love-in feeling, it’s great. It’s all about having fun, celebrating Karri’s life and celebrating one another,” said Karri’s father Pete Oksanen.
“There’s people from all the different high schools in Guelph that Karri knew through sports who come together and made friendships,” said Oksanen, whose work has relocated him to Colorado.
“We’ll come back for this every year. I wouldn’t miss it,” he said.
“We don’t get to tell any new stories about Karri, so for us it’s his legacy that’s growing and it makes us proud that something like this can happen in his name.”
Oksanen said the event has played a big role in helping the family, including mom Tracy sister Lexi, heal.
“It’s helping a lot of these young people and ourselves heal. It goes both ways,” Karri’s dad said.
“We were kind of out of our minds for a couple of years. Nobody tells you how to act or how to grieve … As soon as you’re here you feel the love. It’s where you’re supposed to be.”
Karri’s lifelong friend Shaun Valeriote organizes the tournament, which raises money for the Karri Oksanen Foundation.
Valeriote said that this year’s tournament should raise around $12,000 for the foundation, which contributes to various charitable causes. Recently they sponsored an athlete at the Special Olympics spring games that were held in Guelph and sponsored 10 Guelph Minor Baseball house league teams. Last year’s event, which got rained out on Sunday, brought in $7,500.
“We’re limited in size with the two diamonds here, but it’s kind of nice to keep it small and intimate,” Valeriote said. “Eventually we’d love to grow it to a 30 or a 40-team tournament, but for now it’s nice to keep it small.”
Valeriote said it’s a great way to get together, have fun and remember Karri.
“We don’t see each other as much as we’d like to. This is like our high school reunion every year,” Valeriote said.
Shortly after his son’s death, Pete Oksanen started the Karri Hour movement, urging people to take one hour a week to engage in a selfless act that would honour Karri and the way he lived life.
“It’s definitely a big weekend for reminiscing about Karri,” Valeriote said.
“Even those that didn’t know Karri, everyone can get behind doing good deeds and helping others out: small little things that give back to the community, and that helps build Karri’s legacy.”
