The great thing about the NCAA basketball tourney that sets it apart from all other sporting events is that even if you know little or nothing about basketball, you can participate in the 64 team extravaganza by guessing which teams will be advancing through the brackets.

Known formally as “Bracketology,” it has become one of the biggest avenues for the sporting public to wager a few bucks while viewing the games at your favorite watering hole, cheering on your picks – even if you aren’t even aware where the school is located.

Most of us who are so inclined will participate in an office bracket pool or perhaps sign up at the local tavern. But this year, why not try something a little different?

You probably recall the incident a couple of years ago where a family who recently lost a loved one in Iraq decorated their block with American flags only to have two idiots rip the flags out of the ground and set them afire beneath the family’s car. PFC Tim Hines was training police in Iraq when his humvee was struck by an IED on Father’s Day, 2005. He died a month later leaving his pregnant wife Katy and a 2 year old little girl. Katy delivered a boy three weeks after the funeral. More than 400 people attended Private Hines memorial service where his wife remembered him:

“Tim was a fighter. He fought hard for his country, family and ultimately, his life. He was a loyal husband and father and an incredible American,” a tearful Katy Hines said at the funeral. “There is a price for freedom and Tim paid the ultimate price. Now he is in the loving arms of God.”

The story garnered national headlines and was conservative blog fodder for a few days because of the outpouring of support from the community. The 20 or so flags that were ripped up were replaced with more than 200 national banners. In addition, the attention drawn to the family resulted in some amazing generosity. A donor gave $130,000 so that the soldier’s kids could attend the private Christian academy where he and his wife Katy met. The family was also given a new home.

Like most blog swarms, the incident, the family, and even the hero himself was forgotten after a few days – just one more item that flickered across our attention radar momentarily moving us to outrage and then fading into the background never to be seen again.

Except there’s more to this story – a good deal more. What happened next just might restore your faith in your fellow man while moving you to help honor all of those who have fallen in service to their country.

First, the family of the fallen Marine decided to give something back to their community after that outpouring of generosity. Katy Hines explains in this email:

March Madness Scholarship Fundraiser in Memory of PFC Tim Hines Jr.

My name is Katy Hines and for those of you who don’t know, my husband was PFC Tim Hines Jr. Tim was deployed to Iraq in February of ‘05, he was critically injured on Father’s Day (June 19, 2005), and after a month of fighting for his life, he passed away (July 14, 2005). At the time we had a 2 year old daughter (Lily), and were expecting our second child (Noah), who was born 3 weeks later. Tim was an amazing guy that was filled with life and love, and his absolute favorite sport was basketball. Because of his love of basketball, my family and I have decided that having a March Madness Fundraiser would be a great way to raise funds for the scholarship that is given in his name (each year this scholarship is given to a high school student). This scholarship is a great way to remember Tim and the sacrifices that he made for all of us and to help a high school student attend college (which is the reason why Tim joined the army).

Tim was such a huge basketball fan that when he was training at Fort Hood, he made sure that the place they lived could get both ESPN and ESPN 2 so that he could watch as many games as possible.

To raise funds for the scholarship, the family is asking you to participate in their very own NCAA tourney pool:

“The main reason to have the fund-raiser is to honor Tim’s memory so people will never forget what sacrifices he and all the other soldiers are making and have made,” Hines said. “It’s good too because his memory will live on and will be honored in a special way.”

The annual scholarship will be awarded to a graduating senior from Cincinnati Christian Schools, where Katy and Tim Hines graduated.

The basketball fund-raiser is important because it was what her husband loved, and he played or watched it as much as he could, she said.

To participate in this worthy cause (and have a little fun while you’re at it), go to The David Stein Show Myspace site and follow the instructions. The cost to enter your bracket picks is $20 with the winner receiving a $200 gift certificate from Best Buy.

Stein, whose show on Sporting News Network is called “Pay it Forward” and features some fantastic stories of people carrying out the most selfless acts, says this of Katy and the Hines family:

Katy and her family have been blessed, there has been a great outpouring of support for her in our community, God has blessed her and she is taken care of. Her kids have been given a free Private school education. She has been given a brand new home. But now she is getting of the bench and and on to the court, and returning the favor.

We read so many stories of soldier’s families who desperately need help and having the community reach out and assist them in their hour of need. But this act of selflessness on the part of the Hines family is truly remarkable. And what a fantastic living memorial to Tim Hines that a scholarship in his name will enable a worthy kid to receive a first class high school education.

A great idea. A great cause. And a great way to honor not only Tim Hines, but all the basketball fans who are serving in harms way or have given their lives so that we can live in freedom.