FLITE versus Harlem Wizards basketball game
By Lily Chen, Staff Reporter
The crowd cheers as a member of the Harlem Wizards basketball team jumps over a teammate and dunks the ball into the basket in one of the Tredyffrin/Easttown Foundation for Learning’s largest annual fundraisers.
On Friday, Mar. 17, FLITE held its annual basketball game against the Harlem Wizards. FLITE is a nonprofit foundation whose goal is to ensure that all students in the Tredyffrin and Easttown townships have the support and academic resources they need to succeed. The game included pregame and halftime activities where the Wizards selected audience members to participate in shooting contests, free-throws, dances, and other competitions. The game, played between the Harlem Wizards and a group of students and staff from T/E schools, resulted in a Wizards victory 80-67.
Kate Miller, FLITE’s Vice President, was in charge of the basketball game this year. She believes that there are multiple reasons why the event is so popular in the school district, including the fact that it’s for a good cause.
“People really like to get behind this event because any money that’s raised goes back into helping kids, which is pretty great,” Miller said.
According to Miller, the FLITE versus Harlem Wizards game helps FLITE in two ways: getting more publicity for donations, and informing underprivileged students and their parents about the organization.
“The first (way) is obviously letting people that might be interested in donating or supporting know who we are. The second is (that) it helps get our name out there to make families aware that we’re there to help them and support them in whatever way they need.”
A volunteer at the event, Senior Seena Amin-Sanayei emphasizes the role of FLITE within the school district.
“I think (FLITE) holds a really vital role in serving frequently overlooked parts of our community, especially when it comes to underprivileged students,” Amin-Sanayei said.
Senior Matthew Han, the co-president of Conestoga’s FLITE club, speaks of how the game is a unifying experience.
“Besides just supporting FLITE, I think (the game is) an opportunity for the community to come together,” Han said. “There’s not that many events, where all the schools in the entire district are involved.”
Han mentions FLITE’s impact on the community, pointing out that the game brings more attention to the organization.
“FLITE is a really important part of the community, but you don’t really hear about a lot of the stuff they do because of confidentiality issues,” Han said. “I think that for people who care about the community and about education in general, the game is a great way to both support that while also having a good time yourself.”
The Harlem Wizards often incorporate humor into their performances and interact with the audience. Girls Basketball coach AJ Thompson comments on the Wizards’ efforts to make sure that the children in the stands play an active role during the event.
“It’s fun for the kids to see their teachers and the high school students, and obviously the wizards are awesome,” Thompson said. “This group is super engaging, and you can tell they really involve the kids and they have a lot of fun.”
Bakari “GLITCH” Copeland, a member of the Harlem Wizards, reflects on his experience at the event.
“It’s fun interacting with the kids in the crowd,” Copeland said. “I love to entertain, so tonight has been a great experience.”
Lily Chen can be reached at [email protected].
Lily Chen is a junior and the Co-News Editor of The Spoke. Last year, she served as the Design Editor. She enjoys covering local government, education...
