Basketball Game, Fundraiser Honors Moore

Kirsten and Alex Moore after the Warriors won their first ever Golden State Athletic Conference regular season championship Feb. 21, 2012.

Westmont hosts the Alex Moore Classic, a basketball game and fundraiser that honors the life of Alex Moore, on Saturday, Jan. 12, at 5:30 p.m. in Murchison Gym. Proceeds from the event will benefit Kirsten Moore and their baby, Alexis, who was born seven weeks after Alex’s death, as well as research for Crohn’s disease. Alex’s widow, Kirsten, is the Westmont head women’s basketball coach. Tickets begin at $25 for general admission; $10 for children 12 and under. For more information, please click here or call (805) 565-6224.

Alex Moore, a kinesiology professor at Westmont, died in May from complications following surgery for Crohn’s disease. He was 31.

President Gayle D. Beebe says he has been touched and encouraged to see the Westmont community rally in support for those hurting or dealing with loss. “We seek to assist Kirsten and Alexis in every tangible way possible, including financial,” he says. “I’m delighted to witness the love and concern for Kirsten that has inspired the Alex Moore Classic and the many people who have stepped forward to make this event a success and a blessing for Alex’s wife and daughter.”

Kirsten and Alexis Moore

The event includes a raffle for an all-expense paid, four-night trip for two to New Orleans. The prize includes airfare and a luxury hotel in the French Quarter, and the opportunity to be Kirsten’s guests at the 2013 NCAA Women’s Final Four games. The drawing will take place at halftime of the women’s game. The evening includes live music by the Westmont pep band and choir and special concessions.

Westmont will be defending its Golden State Athletic Conference Championship against San Diego Christian. The men’s basketball game is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.

Kirsten and Alex met at Westmont in 2005 when she became the college’s head women’s basketball coach. They got married in 2008.

Moore, a Wheaton College alumnus, was an adjunct instructor at Westmont for both the kinesiology and biology departments from 2004-06. He earned a doctorate at the University of Missouri and returned to teach at Westmont in fall 2010. His research specialized in microcirculation, focusing on hair-sized arteries and the regulation of blood flow to tissue.