Harlem Wizards help raise hundreds for Eugene elementary school's classrooms
EUGENE, Ore. (KMTR) – Raising money for Eugene elementary school kids, a cross-country trip for an east-coast based basketball-entertainment team this week to face-off against community members in an all out jam session.
The Harlem Wizards returned to Eugene on Friday, May 5th, 2012, for their second year in a row, raising money for Spring Creek Elementary School.
Team members visited the school on Friday, bringing out the smiles with their own brand of basketball comedy. Friday night, the team squared off against more than a dozen community members, raising hundreds for the school’s parent-teacher organization.
The Wizards started up 50 years ago, trying to outdo the Harlem Globetrotters’ "show basketball" act in a bigger and better fashion, all while helping community groups.
For decades now, the Wizards have been playing games to raise money for schools and more.
Dwayne "Swoop" Simpson is one of the Wizards, and helps lead the team. Swoop says he’s glad to be a part of making a positive impact in kids’ lives.
“Growing up my mother used to tell me it takes a village to raise a child right. not just one person, you know, teachers, parents, family, friends, role models, people to come in to the child's life and we all reiterate the same things to help the child be successful and grow up to be the best they can be,” says Swoop.
The money raised from Friday’s exhibition game will help the school's parent teacher organization buy things like new playground equipment, computers and classroom supplies.
In past years, Spring Creek Elementary has bought new document cameras for classrooms with the PTO’s help.
For the 2012 game, Spring Creek’s PTO help raised more than 600 dollars in ticket sales from the game.
