Greenport staff takes on the Harlem Wizards to raise money for school athletics
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 event served as a fundraiser for 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 supports Greenport 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.”
Staff got a break to start the second half, with members of Greenport’s varsity boys basketball team taking the court. Not just that, but they were given a 10-point lead, too. The intensity got kicked up a notch, with some of the high schoolers even getting dunked on.
At the start of the fourth quarter, with the Porters up 62-58, members of the school’s girls basketball team subbed in. Teachers and staff eventually checked back in with around four minutes to go. A kid from the crowd joined the Wizards’ squad, too.
At the final buzzer, the Wizards held on to win 74-70. The night culminated with all the kids in the crowd and staff lining up at center court to take a group picture with the Wizards and have a big dance party.
“I get to play basketball, travel around the world, raise money for different organizations, and just make people happy. That’s what I love to do,” said Space Jam, who has been a Wizard for the last 15 years. “Just to be able to leave a forever-lasting memory on kids and families faces, and then be able to help build up the community is a pleasure to me.”
