For over a decade Vanguard has hosted annual basketball charity events. Last Thursday we held our third annual Hoops For Haiti basketball tournament. Eleven teams and over fifty vipers all took part in shooting some hoops and coming together to help out the people of Haiti by donating over five hundred dollars to Doctor's Without Borders.
But of coarse you don't need to be a pro to participate, just a minimum donation of 10 dollars. Each team consisted of at least one boy, one girl, and a third player of any gender.
The tournament didn't exclude teachers from playing; we indeed had a few staff members running around on the courts
"It seems as if people have completely forgotten about Haiti. There's still over a million people homeless, their water supply is very poor in quality, and a vast amount of it's population are in dire need of proper medical attention. It just feels good to help out a country with a scarce amount of resources," said Mr. Markos, PE teacher and the man responsible for putting this tournament together.
A devastating earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 hit the country 2 years ago. In result it killed hundreds of thousands of people. It obliterated everything in its path, destroying many homes and buildings and, to this day, the country has yet to fully recover from the aftermath. There are many contributing factors as to why we have held these fundraisers but aiding the country to get back on its feet from this tragedy has been the reason behind all our Hoops For Haiti events.
Not only was this a day of convergence towards a great cause, but it was also a day filled with good times and friendly competition. Several students demonstrated examples of exceptional sportsmanship. I would have never known our school could become so passionate about a sport as they were during the tournament.
I spoke with a few students who played on teams and they shared their thoughts on Hoops For Haiti.
"This is a great activity we're doing. We're getting to see some people who I thought I'd never see on a team together play so well, communication and chemistry between all the teams is great. This day of fun is for a great cause and my team is the team to beat," said Rachel Reza, a senior and avid basketball player.
"I like it, it's so much fun. I will definitely do this next year. I'm not really into sports or did I ever really participate in anything back at my homeschool but today I'm going all out. Everyone should do this." pridefully confessed Shelby Delgado, a sophomore who is a novice to the sport.
Even a bit of history was made.
"We won our first game! My team finally won a game, I have been 0-22 and this is my third year doing this, but we finally won our first game. This year I have Johnny and Kenzo on my team and they're both really good, couldn't have done it without them." declared the always vigorous Ms. McCann, one of the three amazing math teachers here at Vanguard. Her team, which consisted this year of Johnny Selgado and Kenzo Yoshiura, won their first game this year, so she had tons to celebrate about.
"I'm dripping in sweat, I'm really tired, and I even have some battle-wounds. I'm teaching a unit on Haiti right now and I just think it's so awesome that a good percent of the school came together to raise money and do this," said a stop sign red Ms. McCann.
"I wish we did more memorable things like this where we incorporate service into an activity that brings so many people together, all the teams are great together and everyone is showing good sportsmanship. I love it," ended Ms. McCann with her signature enthusiasm.
Some of Vanguard's extended family even stopped by.
"I've participated in fundraisers before and this is without a doubt one of the most enjoyable experiences I've had. I love it here at Vanguard, the teachers and the students are all great," said Mr. Daniel O’Donnell, a substitute teacher in d214 and regular visitor here at Vanguard
"I love Vanguard, I love having fun, and I'm very competitive, so this is just perfect for me. I had no idea I was going to be doing this when I got here today, it's why I love this school, and it’s always a new experience every time I'm here. This is definitely my favorite school to
sub at, hands down,” said Mr. O’Donnell with a warm smile.
Trophies were given out to the members of the winning team, the triple threat being, Rachel Reza, Enrique Loiza, and Choowle Banda. Although, there was not all the emphasis went towards winning, Melissa Barrera and Francisco Castro took home trophies for their outstanding display of sportsmanship.
Hoops For Haiti was a major success this year, tons of kids participated, everyone played great with eachother, and we raised a good amount of money. It was great to see so many people come together and have fun on such a noble basis," joyfully stated Mr. Markos
By: Eli Martinez
