Your Diocese

KANKAKEE, IL — Mere moments before the opening tip-off in a Palos Heights gymnasium, the crowd in the bleachers was hushed as spectators joined the two opposing girls’ basketball teams in a moment of prayerful silence in memory of Pamela Branka.

While this competition between the Fighting Irish of Kankakee’s Bishop McNamara High School and the Knights of Palos Heights’ Chicago Christian High School had been postponed from two days earlier, the home team’s players and coaches decided to delay the start of the game a little longer to acknowledge the life and legacy of the slain Momence Burger King employee, whose 16-year-old daughter, Brandi Branka, plays starting guard for the opposition.

During the Jan. 18 game, Branka scored 14 points and her team ultimately secured the victory. The final score was 48-39.

The following afternoon, a group of Fighting Irish girls’ basketball players discussed the tragedy and its aftermath with the Catholic Explorer after their basketball practice.

A guard on the team, senior Annie Provost said she was impressed by the empathy that the Knights displayed for Branka and her family. She noted that community basketball rivals, including players from Kankakee High School, Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School and Momence High School, have also offered their sympathies and support with flowers and other gestures of kindness.

Branka’s heartbreaking experience has taught Provost not to take family and friends for granted, she said. The 18-year-old member of Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Bourbonnais said she plans to strive to tell her family members “I love you” as many times as possible, especially her parents. “Even though we don’t always get along, they are so special.”

Provost took the opportunity to mention Pamela Branka’s friendly demeanor and commitment to Bishop McNamara High School. “She always had that nice smile on her face.”

“Her personality would light up the room,” said Brittany Hasselbring, adding that many knew and respected her. Hasselbring applauded the outpouring of support from the student body, mentioning the large number of teen-agers present to support a classmate who had lost her mother in a tragic turn of events. The 16-year-old member of St. Edmund Parish in Watseka added, “There has been a real sense of community here (at school). We’ve all tried to be there to give moral support.”

Jenna Goodrich was glad to see Branka out on the floor for the game. The grieving player is using basketball to “blow off some steam,” said the 17-year-old senior and member of St. Teresa Parish in Kankakee. It’s a healthy way to vent her frustrations, she said.

“Something like this really makes you think,” said Abbie Rogers, talking about the tragedy that recently struck her friend and teammate. The guard on the basketball team said that she is thankful that she attends a school where faith is regularly “reinforced.” The 17-year-old member of Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish said, “We believe in everlasting life.”

Kurt Weigt, assistant coach, applauded the players for their commitment to each other on and off the court. In an interview with the Explorer, Weigt, who also serves as assistant principal, also mentioned the flood of support from the other school students and their families. “We always make the statement that McNamara is a family,” he said.

According to Weigt, Branka’s mother had worked at the Momence restaurant to offset Catholic school tuition costs. “Being a Catholic high school, we have the ability to reach out.” An effort is now under way to provide financial assistance to the family, he noted.

Faculty and benefactors of Bishop McNamara High School have created a special tuition fund for the high school junior and donors have already contributed enough money to cover this year’s tuition, Weigt said. The assistant principal said he is totally confident that additional funds will also be pledged to secure her tuition for next year as well.