Altoona Basketball Court Honors Cove Native

Re-dedication of the Donald E. Witherspoon Memorial Basketball Court in Altoona took place on August 24.

Witherspoon, a lifetime member of Blair County NAACP and longtime president, was born in Roaring Spring and graduated from Claysburg-Kimmel High School. He passed away on Dec. 26, 2020.

The court was originally revitalized in 2011 under Witherspoon's leadership. Last year, the first dedication was held, and the court was renamed in his honor. This year, the re-dedication brings with it a new plaque bearing Witherspoon's name on display outside of the court. Now, Witherspoon's passion for the Fifth Ward community will live on through the court.

Dave Cunningham, president of the Booker T. Washington Revitalization Corporation, read the inscription on the plaque: "In Memory of Donald E. Witherspoon, beloved husband, father, brother and community leader. He will forever be remembered for his humility, hard work and dedication to Blair County."

Cunningham said that Witherspoon was a volunteer who gave "generously" of his time and talents to the Blair County community. He was an advocate for those who were less fortunate and downtrodden and for victims of injustice.

Cunningham called Witherspoon a visionary who saw a better world. Locally, Cunningham said, Witherspoon saw what the park could become, a community focal point. He was a mentor to generations.

He said that Witherspoon showed people that one could lead as well as serve. Above all, Cunningham said, Witherspoon was a friend who is dearly missed.

Andrae Holsey, president of Blair County NAACP, remembered, "Don Witherspoon was a second father to me, somebody who never missed a sporting event. He never missed a musical. He was always there, sitting somewhere in the bleachers with his Princeton hat on looking at all of us, cheering us on and giving us advice and pushing us forward to be better people."

Holsey said that Witherspoon constantly gave of himself and spent countless hours in his office, digging through paperwork, scratching notes in between the lines about things that could come out of single ideas.

Witherspoon's sister, Patricia Curry, said, "He would love for all of us as people to come together. That was his life, that was his dream, for all of us to work together and to love one another."

Minister Karen Ferguson remembered how Witherspoon helped her when she was a youth.

"My first job was at the Booker T. when I was 14. Don made sure that there was a program for kids to work during the summer. Don did a lot. A lot of it was behind the scenes. Don did a lot for the kids in this neighborhood. He was color blind. He wasn't about just black. He was for everybody," she said.

Witherspoon's wife, Linda, said that her husband was so humble and that humility was his "middle name."

"I think that he would be very honored and very happy," she said.

Linda said that she is amazed at of the support that they have gotten from everybody in the community.