Former Blue Devil launches Weems World Foundation

Former Blue Devil launches Weems World Foundation

Pro baller planning Field Day event for March 23 in West Memphis

Sonny Weems is still playing professional ball and is still loving every minute of it. But in the meantime he wants to show how much more he loves his hometown.

Weems, the former Blue Devil basketball great, was in West Memphis recently to discuss roll-out of his new Weems World Foundation.

“We want to give the kids of West Memphis the tools for success,” said Weems, who is in his second year playing in China for the Dongguan Southern Tigers. “We want them to believe that somebody out there cares for them. We want to provide some things as far as reading or just putting something in their minds emotionally that we want to help them. We want to see a difference made in the kids and a difference made in the city.”

Weems is partnering with his agent, Tywanna Inmon-Smith, herself a former West Memphis basketball great who is a 2018 inductee of the local Hall of Fame, and former Blue Devil football star lineman Joseph Wilson.

Wilson, who was voted the 5A-East Conference’s Lineman of the Year in 2003 when the Blue Devils advanced to the state championship game, is the executive director of Weems World Foundation.

“We are focusing on education and in the area of health and wellness,” said Wilson. “We know that if children aren’t up to speed on literacy by the third grade, their chances for succeeding in the world are hurt. Plus, we want to just do a lot of community service around West Memphis.”

One of Weems’ first major events for his foundation will be March 23 at Hamilton- Shultz Field from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m..

The Weems World Field Day will include fun, fitness and games. Some of the activities include a tug of war, relay race, egg on a spoon, sack race, football toss and bean bag toss.

To sign up for the event, visit the foundation website at www.weemsworld.org.

The event is recommended for students in grades kindergarten through the sixth grade.

The Weems World Readers Book Drive is also currently running through April 1. Donors are encouraged to drop off books at Graham Primary Healthcare. Donors can also make electronic monetary donations on the website.

In an exclusive interview, Weems hit on various subjects including his career, life and culture in China and Blue Devil basketball.

Q: What are your impressions of China? Weems: “Very innovative country. It’s the most innovative country in the world, to me, as far as technology, infrastructure and security.

That’s the thing that surprised me most. In my city alone (Dongguan) there are 9 million people.”

Q: What’s the food like?

Weems: “You know at our Chinese restaurants here they have the yellow rice? They don’t actually have yellow rice. It’s just plain white rice. Sweet and sour chicken? They don’t have that. That’s something Americans came up with.

If you ask for that stuff over there they look at you with this blank face. They have some of the freshest fruit and vegetables in the world because a lot of people are farmers. Everything is pretty good over there.”

Q: So are you on a break of some kind in your season?

Weems: I’m on National Team break. It’s kind of crazy. You have a break in the middle of the season while you’re team may be doing real good and some of the teams just go and play other national teams.

My team is very established. The fan base is very strong. We’re No. 1 in the CBA (Chinese Basketball Association) right now and we’re 36-4. I think we have a pretty good chance of winning the championship.”

Q: Your old team is about to compete in the state tournament. Any message you want to give them?

Weems: “Just need to play with pride. I hope it comes down to Marion vs West Memphis for the state championship. I’ve seen Marion play and they just refuse to lose. Wouldn’t that be something? I think everybody from both cities would travel for that one.

I think we’ll be OK. My cousin is Big Daddy (Cavin Paige) and he is fun to watch.”

Q: It’s been 15 years since your Blue Devil team won the state championship.

How hard is that to believe?

Weems: “It doesn’t feel like 15 years. We had a great run back then in both football and basketball. A lot of great athletes came through here.”

By Billy Woods WM School District