BAM Foundation hosts annual fundraiser event
By Nathan Straus News Reporter

The Brent Adam Miller foundation begins its first ever annual fundraiser on Saturday, September 8. The festivities will last all day from nine to five, and includes a variety of events.

Glenn Miller, founder of BAM, said the foundation has done smaller events such as barbeque dinners before, but never anything on this scale.

"At first I was going to do a softball tournament," Miller said, "but there was already one going on at the time. We decided to use the courts for a 3-on-3 basketball tournament. "

The tournament, along with the rest of the events, will be conducted at Winchester Park in Chandler. But the tournament isn't the only reason to come, Miller said.

The fundraiser will feature a barbeque meal costing $7 at noon, a silent auction, door prizes, and a raffle with a grand prize of a $2,500 gokart.

Brent Miller, who gave the foundation its name, purchased the go-kart some time ago, but decided to give it up soon afterward.

"It was just too uncomfortable for me to ride in," Brent said.

Tickets for the raffle drawing are $5, tickets for entry into the tournament are $10, and purchase of a barbeque plate nets a drawing in a door prize lottery.

Glenn Miller said the BAM foundation is expanding quickly from its origins, and there may be more large events such as this one down the line.

"The BAM foundation covers all of East Texas now," Glenn said. "It gives hope to the disabled youth of Texas."

BAM officially began, Glenn said, when Brent became disabled around 2001.

Brent Miller said he and a friend were hanging out when his friend mistakenly loaded 13 bullets in a 12-bullet magazine of a .22 rifle. The 13th round was automatically chambered, and the model was old and lacked a safety. The gun went off pointed at Brent.

The doctors said my C6 and C7 vertebrae were damaged and the injury was complete, Brent said.

"What that means is two vertebrae sections were shattered, and complete means there's no hope of recovery," Brent also said. He will likely spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair, unable to walk.

Ever since then, the BAM foundation has come to the aid of disabled youth, using mainly methods of recycling to raise money for various necessities and hospital expenses.

However, Glenn said, he and Brent are not strangers to the business of hope.

"Months before this (Brent's accident) we did a fundraiser for a friend's sister who got injured in a wreck," Glenn said.

There may be no recovery for Brent's state, but the BAM foundation, founded on the principle, Glenn said, that life delivers its unfortunate incidents with a "BAM", aspires to bring all of Texas, and possibly even the neighboring states, under its umbrella in the near future.

"BAM is growing," Glenn said.

Brent added the foundation may even reach national levels.