For more than 30 years, the Thomas and Becker families of Parkersburg, Iowa, were bonded together by church, school and their community, and the bond of these two families remains unbroken despite a tragic killing. In June 2009, high school football coach Ed Thomas was shot and killed in the football team's weight room by 24-year old Mark Becker, one of his former players, who had been released from psychiatric care despite severe problems. The Thomas family was the recipient of the 2010 Arthur Ashe Courage Award for their courage to forgive.
"Our family is humbled and honored to be selected as the Arthur Ashe Courage Award winner," said Aaron Thomas, son of Ed Thomas. "This award is a great testament to the type of man my father was. We are merely following his example and what he would expect."
Arthur Ashe Award
The Ashe Award is one of the most prestigious in sports. Recipients reflect the spirit of Arthur Ashe, possessing strength in the face of adversity, courage in the face of peril and the willingness to stand up for their beliefs no matter what the cost. The award is inspired by the life that Ashe lived, using his fame and stature to advocate for human rights, although, at the time, those positions may have been unpopular and were often controversial. From speaking out against apartheid in South Africa to revealing to the world his struggle with AIDS, Ashe never backed away from a difficult issue, even though doing so would have been easier. Winners of the Ashe Award strive to carry on Ashe's legacy in their own lives - - inspired by those who do so each day.
