Colton Osborne Memorial Bench Presented to R-HHS Athletic Department

By April Hall, Staff Writer

CHARLOTTE COURT HOUSE – The Charlotte County Varsity Patriots football team, with the help of Teresa Dunaway (Team Nanna), Phinon Hurt, Brooke Letterman, Wendy Tucker, their coaches, parents and the community, recently set out to raise funds to purchase a memorial bench for Colton “Cotton” Osborne, who was once a member of the Patriots football program, and who recently lost his earthly life in a tragic ATV accident. The team held several fundraisers, including selling snow cones, tattoos, baked goods and holding a 50/50 raffle during homecoming. The team and volunteers also organized a dance with raffles to help with the purchase.

The Patriots reached their goal and on Thursday, March 16, they presented the bench to the Randolph-Henry High School athletic department, during an emotional ceremony that was held just inside the entrance gate of the R-HHS baseball/football fields and was attended by Colton’s parents, Eddie and Teresa Osborne, his brother, Dylan Osborne, members of the Patriot’s varsity football team and their parents, the Randolph-Henry High School baseball team, of which Colton was a member for five seasons, the R-HHS athletic department and a large crowd of fellow Patriot football players, community members, friends and loved ones of Colton’s.

Varsity Patriot team member Caleb Tucker prepared a speech and read it to those gathered. “Today we come together to dedicate this memorial bench in memory of a fellow Patriot, Colton Osborne, better known as Cotton. After Cotton’s passing, the Varsity Patriots placed the number 2 on our helmets and played for Cotton. We played with heart and as a team and went out and beat teams we had never beat before. It may have been 11 of us on the field, but it sure felt like 12. We knew Cotton was playing with us. Colton was a great athlete and we all looked up to him, we knew we had to do something to carry on his memory, and we knew a memorial bench would be perfect. Several fundraisers took place such as during our homecoming game, we sold snow cones, tattoos, baked goods, held a 50/50 drawing and a dance with raffles was held. We would like to thank everyone that helped us reach our goal. This fellow Patriot was so amazing he got chosen to play ball on God’s team.” Following the speech, team members and their coaches unveiled the bench.

The 2016 Varsity Patriot team members include Isaiah Brown, Dagen Crews, Chastity Dunaway, Ahmad Elam, Trayvon Eppes, Raymond Fowler IV, Kavonte Gayles, Jayden Gee, Amyas Holcomb, Maurice Hurt, Peter Jones, Sully Jones, Nasim Journiette, Devin Letterman, Hayden Mills, Lazarus Moss, Christian Newcomb, Damian Pleasant, Russell Thompson, Caleb Tucker, Gavin Valania and Ty Walton. Coaches are Chris Tucker, David Locey, Brian Jones, Tommy Hayes and Bryant Hurt.

Along with the Patriots’ fundraising efforts, the bench was made possible with the help of Martin Monument Company of Keysville.

In addition to the dedication of the bench, the team also presented Colton’s mother with an angel locket, his father with an angel key chain and his brother and niece, Sadie, who affectionately called Colton her Uncle CoCo, and couldn’t be in attendance, with remembrance shirts.

Immediately following the ceremony, the Randolph-Henry High School athletic department presented Colton’s parents with his baseball jersey, which the department had framed.