LENDING A HAND

For Braxton Raymond, the communities of Kasson-Mantorville and St. Peter have always been intertwined. As his family moved all over the Midwest during his childhood, his stays in those communities were his longest and as Raymond became one of the top high school players in the area, he gained many friends and supporters along the way.
Having a support system is something that comes in handy when someone is going through what Raymond has been in the past nine months. Last summer, Raymond was diagnosed with an Anaplastic Astrocytoma, a type of brain cancer that, in his case, is inoperable. Through months of chemotherapy and other challenges, he has taken them head on, but it never hurts to have a helping hand.
On Jan. 19, Raymond received two of them as the two communities that shaped him the most came together for a basketball game pitting the alumni of St. Peter against the alumni of K-M. Paired with a dinner and silent auction, the two communities packed K-M Middle School to help raise funds and show their support.
“It’s just a great thing for the two communities to come together like this,” Braxton’s father, Kelly, said. “They’re only an hour away, but just seeing the support and to see more and more people coming through, it’s been a great thing.”
Raymond’s relationship with St. Peter was one that set the foundation for his childhood. After moving there when Kelly and his mother, Cyndi, took both head basketball coaching jobs, Braxton played basketball for the Saints through his freshman year. When Kelly took the job at K-M, Braxton moved from St. Peter, but the relationship continued.
“When he transferred to K-M, he was still really good friends with the St. Peter kids,” St. Peter head basketball coach Sean Keating explained. “He would come back on the weekends and he’d want to practice and be a part of the team. I got to know Braxton really well, and I’ve never seen a kid that loves basketball more than he does.”
That relationship helped spring the St. Peter community into action when they found out about Braxton’s condition. On Jan. 17, the Saints held Braxton Raymond Night as they hosted Maple River and thanks to a silent auction, they raised nearly $800 for his medical expenses. In addition, Keating brought his entire team over to the game to lend support for their friend.
“It was a big part of our lives,” Cyndi said of St. Peter. “Even though we moved to Kasson, he was always able to have a bed to sleep in. Everybody was always opening their doors because they knew how much he loved St. Peter.”
Raymond’s current community also had a lasting impact as Braxton graduated from K-M in 2016. He would leave the KoMets as the program’s all-time leading scorer despite playing just three years in their uniform and meet more friends and supporters along the way, many of whom hit the court to raise his spirits on Saturday night.
“It’s really overwhelming,” Braxton said of the event. “There are just so many people here. The support really means a lot.”
“To move to a new community that has such wonderful support, it’s amazing,” Cyndi added. “This place has had a big impact on Braxton. He’s graduated from here, our family lives here and it’s great to have two communities that don’t even know each other come out and play a game for Braxton. It’s just great.”
As the crowd gathered to try to find a seat in the packed K-M Middle School gym, Braxton came out to a standing ovation and the Saints alumni would come away with a victory. Of course, the final score didn’t matter as both communities tried to give one of their own a helping hand.
“It means a tremendous amount,” Kelly said. “People know that when something like this happens, it affects everybody. It’s not just our family, it’s everyone. We just love how everything turned out and this is the best therapy for Braxton.”