Basketball camp honors child who died

AMHERST, Mass. (WWLP) - This season of the Western Massachusetts Basketball Camp at Amherst College has been dedicated to 10 year old Gus Adamopoulos of Ludlow.

Gus was killed last year in a boating accident in Huntington. He and his father were in a kayak, and a boat operated by an alleged drunk driver, hit them. His father survived, but Gus died.

In his memory, his parents set up a scholarship fund to send boys to the basketball camp. Gus loved playing basketball, and the camp was something he looked forward to every summer. Now, the camp has put his memory on the back of all their shirts, and they're using his legacy as an example of character and commitment.

"These kids know that a kid last year wishes he was here. So they want to take full advantage of what Gus would have done,” said Peter Kaasila, who coached Gus last year.

Ben Goldman, a friend of Gus, talked about how the boy’s death has affected him. "When I heard what happened to Gus, I really just made a commitment because he was a really good player. I've actually always wanted to play like him, even though he was younger than me. So I just gave a lot of commitment and he was a great player,” Goldman said.

And at the end of every week of this camp, a special award is given out to the teammate that most exemplifies what this camp is all about. That award has been renamed the Gus Adamopoulos Camper of the Week Award.