Charity Basketball to Benefit United Way

^{By Matthew Jackson at The Huntsville Item, January 25, 2010 09:07 am}

The United Way of Walker County and the Sam Houston State University Chapter of Alpha Tau Omega will present a charity basketball game featuring the world famous Harlem Ambassadors Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. in the Huntsville High School gymnasium.

Tickets are already on sale for the event, which will benefit the United Way and feature the Ambassadors against a team of community members dubbed the Huntsville Hoopsters.

Tickets for the game will be $5 for general admission and $15 for floor seating. Discounts will be given to SHSU students and TDCJ employees.

According to United Way director Julie Schneider, the event is geared toward providing a unique gathering point for the community and local charities.

“For two and a half years I was looking for something unique. Every charity has a fundraiser here in town, and I told the board if we do something I really want to do something different,” Schneider said. “The Harlem Ambassadors actually approached me.”

The Harlem Ambassadors are the junior counterpart of the legendary Harlem Globetrotters. The Ambassadors are made of college-educated, drug free players who, in addition to performing basketball feats similar to the Globetrotters, also work to spread a message of hard work and a good education at schools and civic gatherings across the United States.

The game will be preceded by a charity “tailgate” party beginning at 6 p.m. on the HHS campus. During the tailgating event, local charities will open booths to provide information on their purpose and provide refreshments to those in attendance.

The tailgate party will be immediately followed by the game between the Ambassadors and the Hoopsters.

Schneider said the United Way is still seeking local sponsors to sponsor players for the Hoopsters. A sponsorship is $250 and the sponsored player will wear the name of his or her sponsor on a t-shirt during the game.

The United Way will also be contacting local charities in the coming days and weeks to seek their involvement in the tailgate party portion of the event.

“We’re trying to get it to be all about the charity organizations coming together and each of them having a table where the people can see what they do,” Schneider said. “We’re just trying to get everyone to come and have a good time together. We’re really excited about it.”

For more information, contact the United Way at (936) 291-8986 or e-mail uwwc@consolidated.net.

The original story can be found at: http://www.itemonline.com/local/local_story_025090749.html