Great Falls CMR alum and former NBA player Josh Huestis and his foundation are coming to Great Falls to make better opportunities for youth athletes. As an athlete who played professionally, Huestis wants to make sure he can impact lives in his community and give kids a better chance at making it to the big leagues, too.
“There is a lot of people in Montana that are in need of help, especially kids,” said Huestis. “If I can just make a difference in one person's life then that’s what I want to do.”
One of the first events they are putting together will come Memorial Day weekend of 2023. The foundation will be hosting a recruiting event for the top 50 boys and girls basketball players in the state. The camp will be invite-only and players will be able to display their talents in front of college coaches across all divisions. The biggest aspect about this camp is that the foundation is fundraising to make it an expense-free event.
“It can be a huge financial burden to be able to give a kid an opportunity and to do all the things that are necessary for them to play basketball at the collegiate level,” Huestis said. “I don’t think that’s fair that an athlete may miss out on a college education and the ability to play college basketball purely because of a financial situation.”
The Josh Huestis Foundation will host a fundraiser on October 21 at Kranz Park. It will be a tailgate before the crosstown CMR-vs.-Great Falls High football game. The tailgate will include barbeque, games, music and a silent auction. For a $10 donation, the community will be able to eat as much as they want and enjoy the festivities. The event will start at 4 p.m. with food being served starting at 4:30.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun and hopefully we can raise a lot of money for my foundation to be able to do a lot of good,” Huestis said.
