Nicole Bush was one of Aliyah Gregory’s biggest fans. “Auntie Nikki” was very close with the Strawberry Crest basketball star, right up to her tragic death in 2011.
Two years later, Gregory came up with a plan to honor her late aunt.
The senior is playing her final season as a Lady Charger in Bush’s memory and linking it to a domestic violence awareness campaign she created, “Assist and Score.”
“(Because) she and Nikki were so close, she actually came up with the idea for the ‘stop domestic violence’ movement,” head coach La’Tosha Lewis says. “She did it all herself.”
Now committed to play for the University of Central Florida in 2014, Gregory doesn’t have much left to prove as a high school basketball player. She knew she wanted to dedicate this season to Bush but wanted to make the most of the opportunity.
The foundations for the fundraiser were laid in October, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, when Gregory realized she could do what her aunt liked to do.
“She always helped me out with fundraising and things like that,” Gregory says. “So, I figured I could do the same thing to help anybody going through the same thing that she went through.”
So, she’s doing all she can to help prevent others in rough situations from meeting a similar fate.
LOVE SHOULDN’T HURT
May 31, 2011, should have been a happier time for Gregory and her family. After all, it was the day before her birthday.
Instead, they received news that Bush had been killed in her Fruit Cove home.
The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office got the call that morning and found Bush alive, but barely. She had been shot, stabbed and beaten multiple times. She was rushed to the hospital but died there.
Almost three months later, on Aug. 26, homicide detectives caught and arrested Sean Bush, her husband, after finding DNA evidence implicating him in the crime. He had a violent past — having been charged with attempted murder in 2001 — but married Nicole a year later.
The loss was tough for the entire Gregory family — and especially Aliyah.
“She was very involved in my life,” Gregory says. “She came to many of my games and supported me whenever I needed anything. Our families were very close.”
When Gregory got back to basketball, her teammates were right there to support her.
“We were there to rally around her, to tell her that everything was going to be fine,” Lewis says. “It wasn’t easy, but we just tried to lift each other up. It’s been a process, honestly, and it’s not something you’re just going to do overnight.”
After giving it much thought, Gregory realized the best way to honor her aunt would be to do exactly what she would have done in a similar situation.
“It would be something she would want me to do,” Gregory says. “She wouldn’t want us to mourn her death, but she would want us to help anybody going through the same thing.”
SPREADING THE WORD
And, with that, “Assist and Score” was born.
Gregory is primarily seeking pledges, in the form of $1 for every point that she scores, but is also open to accepting one-time donations.
“I prefer a pledge to keep things fun,” she says.
To put things into perspective, she has averaged 467.7 points per season over the past three years.
She typed up a press release in October, explaining in detail exactly what she hopes to accomplish, and emailed it to whoever she could. Her talking points included some shocking statistics: According to Gregory’s research, one in every four women will be a victim of domestic violence at some point in time.
“A lot of people are in domestic violence situations and think it’s OK, but it’s not,” Lewis says. “It’s not something people talk about every day.”
Gregory created an email address that people can use to give donations, and she says a website is currently in the works. The team also is showing support for Gregory on the court by wearing purple accessories. The Lady Chargers are wearing purple shoes, socks and silicone bracelets all season, because purple is the corresponding color for domestic violence awareness. On one side, the bracelets read “Love Shouldn’t Hurt,” and the other side reads, “End Domestic Violence.”
Fans can buy the bracelets and check out some literature at all home games.
STARTING STRONG
On top of the Lady Chargers’ good start, Gregory and Lewis say the word about the campaign is traveling well.
“It’s going great,” Lewis says. “Everybody’s on board — the team, the school, even people from other schools in the community.”
That’s keeping Gregory pleased, giving her extra fuel to go out and get buckets. She’s fast approaching a couple of milestones — 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds — and could conceivably reach them before the season’s end. She needs 570 points and 443 boards, but, in the end, that’s not what matters most.
If all she does this season is honor Auntie Nikki, then she’ll be content before she goes to college.
Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.
ABOUT THE FUNDRAISER
Aliyah Gregory’s campaign, “Assist and Score,” is based on the premise of $1 being donated for every point she scores this season.
“You can pledge per point that I score this season, or you can just give a flat-out donation,” she says. “This is all going to go to a local domestic violence organization in Tampa.”
Until the website is created, one way to donate to Gregory’s cause is to email her at aliyahgregory.ats@gmail.com.
You can also donate at one of Strawberry Crest’s home games this season. Her mother will be there with brochures and bracelets, and will accept donations. The Lady Chargers’ next home game will be at 8 p.m. Nov. 21, when they face East Bay High School.