POTSDAM, N.Y.—The 44th annual SUNY Potsdam Bears International Summer Basketball Camp ended with a big surprise yesterday afternoon. While Bears men's basketball coach Sherry Dobbs called siblings Cassi and Vincent Boyer up to receive their Jerry Welsh Award, women's coach Tara Ruckh snuck their father Del in behind them.
 
Del, a major in the U.S. Army and a native of Tupper Lake, had been serving in Afghanistan since Jan. 15, and just returned home for a two-week leave, unbeknownst to his children. Del's wife Karri, a 1991 Potsdam graduate, tipped off the coaching staff to help set up the surprise.
 
Dobbs announced a special presenter to give the duo their awards and after the brief shock wore off, they greeted their dad with a hug.
 
Click the links below for the Time Warner Cable News video, the WWNY TV video and the Watertown Daily Times story written by SUNY Potsdam alum Alan Rizzo '05.
 
Also during the awards ceremony, Tanner Stone of Schroon Lake and Breanne Sapp of Potsdam were named the Caleb Snyder Outstanding Male and Female Campers for 2014.