Greenport teachers traded in their dress shirts and ties for basketball shoes and jerseys on Wednesday night, taking to the hardwood.
Their opponent? None other than the Harlem Wizards, a team known for their entertaining trick shots, athletic prowess and comedy, all wrapped into a game of hoops.
The eventserved as a fundraiserfor the Greenport Athletic Booster Club, raising money to support the district’s sports team. The Wizards last played in Greenport in 2017.
“Today is great because it is a representation of how the community supportsGreenport schools,” Superintendent Beth Doyle said just before tip-off. “Everyone is out here; it’s parents, it’s kids, it’s alumni, former basketball players, current basketball players, just here to support our schools. I am going to try not to embarrass myself.”
The Greenport staff certainly did not embarrass themselves, well, too much at least. After a raucous crowd welcomed the roughly 30 players on the home team, and Ms. Doyle led a run-by of the crowd filled with high-fives, it was time for the opening tip.
“It’s great to see the community get out here and show up, as they always do for events,” said Tate Joslin, a fourth-grade teacher and security guard. “I think this is an awesome opportunity to watch their teachers and for those in the school just to get out of their element and have a lot of fun.”
Laughs, slam dunks and blasting music filled the gym immediately. Greenport kept it close throughout the first quarter, with the score showing 10-10 at the buzzer.
The second quarter saw much more scoring — and, of course, more laughs — with Greenport trailing 30-21 going into halftime.
Between quarters, the Wizards players — Giant, Road Runner, Space Jam, Jumping Jack, and Go Get It — interacted with the crowd. They started dance-offs between mothers and fathers, had kids play musical chairs, pulled some pranks and even signed autographs. Smiles were all around, and they were impossible to miss.
“We love putting smiles on people’s faces, obviously raising money for good causes,” said U GoBoy, the Wizards’ MC. “It’s all about giving back, and it’s all about making sure that schools function at a high level while the kids have a good time.”
Source: The Suffolk Times
