91原创 Thunder will wear a special jersey in honour of a young woman who left a significant mark during her brief time.

As part of the Senior A lacrosse team鈥檚 Western Lacrosse Association regular season finale on Wednesday, July 31, at 91原创 Events Centre, the Thunder will auction off their game-worn jerseys with the benefits proceeding the Tessa Beauchamp Foundation.

The foundation works to infuse Tessa鈥檚 values into the community by providing exemplary students with scholarships to further their education and by providing funds to other charities to help impoverished and needy people.

The 91原创 Thunder became involved through team president Ken Buchan, who was a teacher at Holy Cross Regional High School 鈥� where Beauchamp attended.

鈥淪he was an inspiration to so many people,鈥� Buchan said, adding that despite the pain and struggle she endured, Tessa continued to fight until the end. He elaborated.

Tessa faced significant adversity in her short life, suffering third degree burns to nearly 20 per cent of her body when she was three years old after her dress caught fire while sitting in front of a glass fireplace.

She overcame that, and became an excellent student and outstanding athlete, especially on the basketball court.

A few years later, doctors found a growth in her inner ear, resulting in a pair of surgeries and three rounds of radiation. Despite her ongoing treatment and the side effects 鈥� she had no hearing in her right ear and had to wear an eye patch to combat the double vision she was experiencing 鈥� Tessa would join here teams either on the court playing or on the sidelines cheering them on when she was not strong enough to play.

The cancer would return but not even that could stop her from suiting up for her Holy Cross team at the provincial high school basketball championships.

鈥淭he cancer by this time was making it difficult for her to breathe and left her extremely fatigued,鈥� described her high school coach Ryan Tyrell on the foundation鈥檚 website.

Up against a huge rival with a spot in the provincial semi-finals on the line, Tessa delivered a masterful performance. 

鈥淔rom the start, it was evident Tessa was putting in a performance to be remembered. She played close to 40 minutes, scoring 30 points and was a stalwart on defence and on the boards, single-handedly urging her team to victory and a place in the semi-finals,鈥� Tyrell said.

鈥淎s in life and athletics, Tessa refused to give up. She simply could not accept 鈥榥o鈥� for an answer.鈥�

Tessa was named to the all-tournament team and 11 months later, she passed away after her nearly four-year cancer battle.

Despite her years of struggle, she left behind a legacy of incredible strength and levity. 

鈥淭essa鈥檚 presence was a true gift as she indiscriminately shared love and friendship with everyone she met,鈥� reads the Foundation鈥檚 website. 鈥淟osing Tessa was painful and tragic beyond belief and her friends and family miss her every day.

鈥淭hose who are touched by her memory choose to focus on extending the abundance of love and strength she shared during her short life. The foundation鈥檚 mission is to uphold Tessa鈥檚 spirit of tenacity and love in the face of adversity.鈥�

This year鈥檚 jersey 鈥� which was designed by 91原创 Events Centre graphic designer Ryan Molag and produced by X-Treme Threads 鈥� is white with splashes of purple and black.

Purple was always Tessa鈥檚 favourite colour and has always played a prominent role in the jerseys, which the Thunder have worn for their annual Tessa Beauchamp Night since they began the initiative in 2012.

All proceeds from the jersey auction benefit the Tessa Beauchamp Foundation.

Last year saw $4,625 raised through the jersey auction.

Online bidding is open until 3 p.m. on game day, which is next Wednesday, July 31, at 91原创 Events Centre, when the Thunder take on the Burnaby Lakers starting at 7:30 p.m.

Live bidding for the jerseys will continue until the end of the second intermission, Buchan explained, noting that bids are accepted by emailing media@tfse.ca and noting which jersey is being bid on, plus of course, how much the bid is. Bidding starts at $50 and goes up by increments of $25, Bidders must also include their name and contact number.

All bids will be updated on the website daily.

For more information on the Tessa Beauchamp Foundation, people can visit .