The third annual Hoops From The Heart event wrapped up another successful event this past Tuesday. The event featured 2 all-star games and special events for over 150 inner city kids. For more information on the event and a thank you from event chair Grant Pierce plus Facebook photos from the event....
The third Hoops From The Heart event is into the history books! And if our goal was to provide nearly 150 inner city children with a meal, put a cool Hoops From The Heart T-shirt on their back and a player autographed basketball in their hands, all at the same time as getting them excited about the game of basketball, then Tuesday evening’s event was an unqualified success!! The smiling faces on the kids, their politeness throughout the night and the excitement whenever they did something (or won something) was priceless!
THANK YOU SO MUCH to our sponsors for making this happen: Safeway, Tim Hortons, Club St B, Larry Vickar, Linda and Allen Beaudry, Myers Norris Penny, Randy Viray Financial Services, the City of Winnipeg, WASAC, and the Philippine Basketball Association! Special thanks to the Hoops From The Heart Organizing Committee of Grant Richter, Dennis Bayomi, Tyson Jones, Phil Chiappetta, Randy Viray, Linda Beaudry and Gail Pierce for a whole year’s work preparing for this event. Congratulations to all for making something wonderful happen for so many who need special events like this in their lives! All of the proceeds of the game will go to aid important heart research at St Boniface Hospital and to help inner city youth through the Basketballs For Inner City Kids Project. Thank you to St Boniface Hospital Foundation for providing us with two tickets to the International Award Dinner honoring Steve Nash on September 12th. We had a very lucky young man who came away with this big prize and will see Nash in September! We also had two very excited winners of the Nash autographed jerseys. A very big thank you to the Manitoba Association of Basketball Officials who gave of their time to help us out! Special thanks to Steve Tackie for adding his excitement at the announcing table to keep those fans riled up during both games and to Basketball Manitoba for helping promote the games. Thank you to the Universities of Manitoba and Winnipeg and their Coaches, Kirby Schepp and Mike Raimbault for allowing us to feature their teams in these games. Thank you to all of the basketball players who donated their hard earned money to play in these games.
And what games we watched! I believe we watched the best basketball yet in our three years. The games were filled with dunks (I estimate at least 8), big blocks (must have been 10 of those – mostly by Chad Posthumus) and lots of great shots. If the hundreds of fans weren't entertained by that, then they never will be! The photos attached (by Richelle McCullough) are proof of the excitement on and off the court! Thanks Manitoba and see you next year!
Sincerely
Grant Pierce