AKRON, Ohio — This Saturday, Hoop for Coop will host its 9th Annual Men’s Health Fair and Basketball Tip-off, which will feature more than 40 vendors and community partners, 12 competitive games, 24 teams and more than 200 registered players.
Aside from the game, the basketball showcase also puts health front and center by offering more than 250 screenings along with wellness information for mental and physical care.
“A lot of things and a lot of ailments that we have in the male community is preventable,” said Hoop for Coop Co-Founder and Executive Director, Jerome Moss.
If you’re a man, take a minute to ask yourself this question: when’s the last time you went to the doctor?
For some men, the answer is easy.
But for others, Moss said he’s not surprised if it’s a little more difficult for you to say.
“We don’t like to go to the doctor. We don’t like to listen to folks,” said Moss.
With Men’s Health Month approaching, Moss is pushing for young boys, teens and men to get serious about taking care of themselves after his friend, Kimyata D. Cooper, suffered from a heart attack while playing basketball.
“They said he had made a pass, a nice pass. A guy had scored, and they was like ‘Good pass Coop, good pass Coop’ and one of my friends was like ‘Aye man, you alright?’ and he was like ‘Yeah, I’m cool’ and he just collapsed,” said Moss.
Coop was just 34 years old when he died in May 2016, Moss said.
“The day before that I had canceled my doctor’s appointment, so it was like oh, oh my goodness,” said Moss. “For him to go that way was like wow.”
Nearly 10 years after Coop’s death, Hoop for Coop is getting ready to host its yearly event at Firestone Community Learning Center in Akron.
“The experience is amazing. The environment is electric,” said Bishop Cameron Nelson, who’s been playing for the last three years. “Sometimes, I may somewhat slack off a little bit, but I have people like my brother Moss that continues to put this event together so we can know our status and our numbers.”
While Moss is grateful to honor his friend Coop, he said he’s even more thankful to work with others to help address a critical issue for hundreds of people in Summit County and nearby communities.
“The more you do, the more you learn, the more God opens your eyes, the more burden you see of what’s still out there and need(s) to be done,” said Moss.
The free showcase is from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
