$11K MSU Full-court shot winner uses money for young students

“Town Crier” newsletter – Briefs from the Region (1) – 3/19/20

When MSU student Joe Thompson banked a full-court shot at MSU’s Brick Breeden Fieldhouse last month—on University of Montana rivalry night to boot—he won $11,111 as part of a promotion from Montana Rib & Chop House. No one would have blamed the young man for banking in on the bank shot, using that money for any of the fees a college student might have—beer money aside. However, the video of the thrilling moment went viral on a global scale, making Thompson a viral entity himself. He appeared on numerous major sports networks and pivoted that platform into launching a nonprofit called Equip Montana. His mission? To help public schools get the gym equipment they desperately need due to a lack of available funding, and he’s already been in contact with schools in Laurel, Hardin and Eureka, reports Montana Sports. “They’ve sent me photos of completely stripped down tennis rackets, basketballs with boils on them and volleyballs they’ve been using for 15 years,” Thompson said. We could all learn a lesson in paying it forward from this generous and humble individual.