Although the turnout wasn’t as big as last year, the third annual Challenger Basketball Blowout still benefited a worthy cause.
The event, held at Clarkston High School Thursday, was originally scheduled for early to mid-December, according to Brian Zuzola, a Clarkston High School teacher and advisor for the CHS Student Leadership group, which put on the event.
However, an ice storm forced the group to reschedule the event for last Thursday. A total of $700 was raised for the Sterling Heights Challengers, a wheelchair basketball team for students ages 6-18.
Last year, the event raised $1,300 for the Challengers. Zuzola believes the ice storm and subsequent rescheduling played a key role in the decrease of funds raised.
“It was a disappointing turnout, compared to last year,” he said.
According to Zuzola, since there aren’t many wheelchair basketball teams in the state of Michigan, the Challengers must travel throughout the country to compete in tournaments. He said they will be heading to a tournament in New York this week, and some members of the team will be traveling to Australia later this year.
The CHS students and faculty took their turns taking on the Challengers. In the first quarter, members of this year’s girls basketball team took the court, while in the second quarter, representatives from the CHS faculty took on the Challengers.
In the third quarter, members of the boys basketball team took their turn on the hardwood, while in the fourth quarter, a combined CHS student/faculty team wrapped things up against the Challengers.
At halftime, the Student Council raffled off a hockey puck autographed by the Detroit Red Wings’ Luc Robitaille.