Sixth annual Idaho State University Stephens Foosball Tournament fundraiser set June 24

The Sixth Annual Blake Stephens Foosball Tournament will be June 24 at 1 p.m. at Hooligans.

The event, which raises scholarship money for student veterans attending Idaho State University, honors local Army soldier Sgt. Blake Stephens who was killed in Iraq in 2007 by a roadside bomb. Stephens often played foosball at the local establishment.

The Sgt. Blake Stephens Scholarship became the official scholarship of ISU's Veterans Sanctuary program in 2010.

"I cannot express in words how much this scholarship meant to me because it allowed me to attend summer classes that I couldn't have otherwise afforded," said 2010 scholarship recipient Kale Bergeson, a Gulf War Marine veteran and sophomore studying Human Resource Training and Development. "Thank you to Hooligans for holding this annual event to honor one of our local heroes."

The tournament annually raises about $2,000, which is split into two awards. The recipients are announced each January.

"It was a tremendous honor to be last year's scholarship recipient," said 2011 awardee Tomarra Byington, an Operation Iraqi Freedom Army Veteran. "To be recognized for my achievements tells me I've done things right and encourages me to continue to do my best."

Hooligans is located at 122 N. Third Ave. For more information, call 234-0213.

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