1st Annual Mitch Madness Basketball Tournament

Mitch Madness honors the life of Mitchell Delgado who lost his battle with addiction on December 26, 2023.

All of the proceeds will go to Shatterproof, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to reversing the addiction crisis in the United States. Their goal is to transform addiction treatment, end addiction stigma, educate and empower communities, and advocate for policy changes across the nation.

EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS!

About Mitch Madness:

The 1st Annual Mitch Madness Charity Basketball Tournament will take place on Saturday, March 30 at 9:00am at Gulf Breeze High School. Sixteen teams with three players each will compete, bracket-style, in hopes of winning the 1st prize trophy. The goal of the tournament is to give our community much-needed information about the opioid epidemic in a fun-filled, safe environment.

About Mitchell Delgado:

On December 26, 2023, Mitchell Delgado lost his battle with addiction at the age of 30.

Early in his life, Mitchell evolved with his many interests. By age 10, he was playing Beethoven on the piano and achieved his second-degree Taekwondo black belt. He loved playing with his friends, playing sports of all kinds and Mitchell loved his St. Paul Catholic Church community. Mitchell was confirmed at St. Ann Catholic Church in Gulf Breeze. Even as a child, Mitchell was kind, generous, respectful, and caring...traits he carried into adulthood.

Into his teen years, Mitchell was funny, warm, friendly, and had a ravenous zest for life. He excelled in his schoolwork, receiving many academic accolades and scholarships. Mitchell's love of sports began early, and he got out of many household chores because practice of some sort was a year-around commitment! He and his friends played football, baseball, basketball, and ran track throughout middle and high school. Mitchell was a fierce competitor and pushed every throw, drive, run or shot to the ultimate limit. His track speed translated to his love of fast sports cars for which he was passionate. His BMW 435I was his pride and joy.

After graduating from Gulf Breeze High School, Mitchell attended Florida State University (Go Noles!). His years there are best recalled by his close group of friends from GBHS who attended FSU and UWF. I am sure they have lots of "stories" we have yet to hear (or maybe shouldn't). Those guys and girls know who they are. Mitchell earned his BA degree in Criminology and Psychology, planning to attend law school. However, his best friend since childhood, Andrew Zambetti, convinced Mitchell that a move to California to sell solar door-to-door would be the ticket to great riches and success...both passionate goals of Mitch's. This experience brought new friends and experiences into his life and the lessons learned continued to serve him in his quest to build a solid career. Eventually, Mitchell was hired as a recruiter by CyberCoders and then as a senior recruiter with Jobot, where he was employed at the time of his passing.

Mitchell was a lifelong New Orleans Saints fan who loved nothing more than watching his team, talking sports with his father, uncle, and friends, and predicting the outcome of every game, every season, and buying the latest jersey of new Saints stars. Annual fantasy football with his squad was the highlight of every year. To the core, he was a member of the Who Dat Nation. His IG bio reads "FSU Alum and biggest Saints fan you'll ever meet."

The outpouring of love and support from Mitchell's vast group of friends has been a saving grace for his family. The common thread is that Mitchell was kind, loyal, intelligent, a deep thinker and debater, funny, non-judgmental, smart, fair, honest, spiritual, and a mentor to many. Mitchell had an uncanny ability to relate to most anyone, and was truly interested in people, their lives, their well-being, and their futures, a trait which endeared him to all. Several newer friends have said that Mitchell's concern, care, mentoring, and advice had changed their lives forever in a positive way that they never thought possible. His legacy will be one of profound impact on all who knew him.

Nothing was more important to Mitchell than his family. We will forever cherish the memories we made with Mitch, including holidays, birthdays, sporting events, travel, the many museums we visited, and just hanging out at the house. Mitchell adored his dogs, actually all dogs and animals. He had a special place in his heart for the many pups in our family over his life. Ellie, Mila, Honey Bun, Chloe, Finley, and our cats Cali and Midnight will miss Mitch and his sweet, gentle love for them.

Mitchell was a seeker of knowledge and truth, was a voracious reader, and could converse on so many topics, including history, politics, self-improvement, fiction, investments, and sports. We discussed his concerns and hopes for others, for family, for the future, spirituality, music, and so much more. He was an old soul at heart.

Unintended opioid addiction due to an accident or injury is a national epidemic and extinguished the bright light that was Mitchell. Mitchell had been clean for nearly six months, but the addiction overtook him when he came home for Christmas. Be kind and understanding to those battling addiction. It's not their fault. No one wants to be an addict. Seek help and support for loved ones suffering from addiction of any kind.