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ROBERTSDALE, Alabama — After his best friend died suddenly in May while playing on a Slip ’n Slide at the Baldwin County school that they both attended, 10-year-old Lee Avinger felt helpless and sad.

Then he remembered that, when he was hanging out with 11-year-old William Cote talking about sports, his friend would talk about buying his parents a big-screen plasma television.

“He wanted them to be able to watch him play professional basketball,” Avinger said Thursday. After talking about the idea with his parents, Avinger decided to raise the money to buy the TV then give it to William’s parents, Kelly and Doug Cote.

“I wanted to make his wish come true,” Lee said.

Lee’s mother, Margaret Avinger, said “some skeptical people have asked us ‘What do his parents need with a plasma TV?’ It’s not about the TV. It’s about a boy wanting to honor his friend’s memory.”

Lee wrote a letter asking for donations that his mother photocopied and sent to family, friends and members of their church.

“Also, I want this to be a secret from Mrs. Cote and Mr. Doug, so please don’t tell them or anyone in their family,” he wrote at the end of the letter. Contributions poured in, and within a few weeks he had more than $1,000.

William Cote died May 24 after playing with other children during an after-school event at St. Patrick Catholic School in Robertsdale. Cote apparently stumbled, complained of not being able to see, then collapsed and stopped breathing. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

An autopsy later found no signs of physical injury, and the cause of death remained unclear Friday, according to the Baldwin County Coroner’s Office. Toxicology and other tests may not be available until August or later, officials with the office said Friday.

After raising the funds, the Avinger family went to Best Buy at the Eastern Shore Centre shopping mall in Spanish Fort.

“After he told the salesperson about what he was doing, word kind of got around the store and people started walking up to him, telling him they thought what he was doing was great,” Margaret Avinger said. Lee settled on buying a 55-inch LG flat-screen TV. Soon, the family surprised the Cote family with it at their home.

“They were very happy. It meant a lot to them what Lee had done to honor William,” Margaret Avinger said. 

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