Randall Slown was a member of the Saunemin Grade School Basketball program for his four years of grade school and Jr. High, from 2003-2007, and part of the Pontiac High School program from 2007-2009.  During his time in Saunemin, Randall became a leader for the Eagles and demonstrated a work ethic uncommon by most standards for boys that age, as well as a genuine love for the game.  He would lead the Eagles during a stretch of 3 of the best years the school had seen since the mid-90s in their basketball program.  He was a joy to coach and the type of player that easily bought into a system and never wanted to disappoint.  The time he spent in the gym both during the season and off-season, was both in quantity and quality.  His desire to improve himself as both a person and as a player, were well established by the time he entered Jr. High.  Although he lost the passion to wear the uniform, he never lost his passion for the game he loved so much.  As a 16 year old, Randall took, and passed the ASEP Certification Test that would one day allow him to coach in the State of Illinois.  With that in hand, he began what we had hoped might one day lead to him coaching in the future, by assisting the Saunemin coaching staff and beginning to see first hand how the player/coach relationship can be built, and how special it can become.

The height of his enjoyment and love of the game came in the spring of 2010 when he had the opportunity to attend the NABC (National Association of Basketball Coaches) Convention in Indianapolis and the Men's NCAA DI Final Four, where he at 60,000 others became immediate fans of the Butler Bulldogs.

Unfortunately for all of us, Randall was taken from us in a tragic accident on June 9, 2010, and our small community and friends from this area still mourn that loss today.  He was a special young man that touched the lives of many people in our community.

One of the special times that he looked forward to each summer was the chance to attend the Illinois Wesleyan University Day Camp in June each year.  He developed relationships at that camp over the years that would make a lasting impact on both the college coaches and college players that came into his life.  His passing came 12 days before he was to go and work the 2010 camp at IWU as part of a mentor program.

Through the generosity of many, and through matching funds from the local Saunemin Basketball Camps & the I-55 Shootout at the Shirk, it is both with a heavy heart and great joy that we offer the Randall Slown Memorial Fund as a way to provide other young people the opportunity to attend the camp at Illinois Wesleyan that he came to love so much.

Please click here to see a copy of the Randall Slown Memorial Fund program brochure.

One of our ongoing funding sources is the '24 for 24' Challenge.  At right you will see a pic of the fundraising t-shirt that is available with Coach Stoecklin and Randall's brother Bryce.  Orders can be taken at any time and are filled on a monthly basis.  With Randall's # being 24 during his final years here in Saunemin, a $24 donation can get you the shirt with proceeds going to the Memorial Fund.

To place your order, go to the 'Online Forms' tab on the left side of our website and place your order today!