Teams support DStrong movement

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The Woodland and Torrington boys basketball teams, Woodland's cheerleaders and dance team, officials and fans pose at midcourt Feb. 19 in Beacon Falls for a photo to support 8-year-old terminal cancer patient Dorian Murray. –ELIO GUGLIOTTI
The Woodland and Torrington boys basketball teams, Woodland’s cheerleaders and dance team, officials and fans pose at midcourt Feb. 19 in Beacon Falls for a photo to support 8-year-old terminal cancer patient Dorian Murray. –ELIO GUGLIOTTI

BEACON FALLS — A basketball game was about a little bit more than a basketball game last Friday night at Woodland High.

Before tip-off between Woodland and Torrington, the teams and fans joined together to recognize 8-year-old terminal cancer patient Dorian Murray.

Dorian, who is from Rhode Island, decided that his goal is to become famous through social media. Over the last couple of months, photos and messages of support using the hashtag #DStrong have circulated to send support to Dorian.

“I heard about it through work,” said Woodland coach Tom Hunt, who participated in the same initiative at his job at the Manson Youth Institution in Cheshire. “I think that cancer awareness is a very important thing. Cancer touches everybody’s life in some form, and just to be able to put a smile on that kid’s face with a mere picture — if I could do that every single day, I would.”

Both teams, the officials, fans and Woodland’s cheerleaders and dance team posed at midcourt for the photo before the game.

“Sometimes you need to make people aware of people who are less fortunate,” Hunt said. “We talked before the game about how some people aren’t able to play. We have the luxury of being able to go out there and compete, and you can’t take that for granted.”

Torrington sped away early for a 79-37 victory. Still, Hunt was satisfied with the way his team played to uphold the attitude of the night.

“The scoreboard didn’t dictate it enough tonight, but the kids understood the message,” Hunt said. “That’s just the message we wanted these kids to understand, and I thought it was well received by the entire school. It says a lot about the whole district.”