Valparaiso High School’s gymnasium was flooded with families Thursday night.
That's because the Harlem Wizards paid a visit for their third annual Harlem Wizards vs. Valpo All Stars game. The game was a fundraiser for the Public Education Foundation of Valparaiso, Indiana, Inc., a corporation formed to advance education opportunities for students of Valparaiso Community Schools through grants and scholarships.
Julie Dalton, the COO of Valpo Schools Foundations, stated, “We exist as a helping hand to Valpo community schools. We work with both teachers and students in our school system. We do many things around the community, including providing grants to Valparaiso community schools and scholarships to graduating seniors. We hold Harlem Wizards Night and several other events each year to raise money to be able to give back to Valpo community schools. This is one of those nights that is a family event and it’s a community builder.”
One of the sponsors, Cavanaugh & Nondorf Orthodontics, really enjoyed coming out to the game.
"We wanted to support the school foundation," Matt Nondorf of Cavanaugh & Nondorf Orthodontics said. "This was my fist time going to one of these events. I took my daughter and we really enjoyed it. Those guys are incredible. We really try to be involved in the community whenever we can we are always looking to be involved. It's neat to see some of the teachers that were playing because they were my teachers when I was in school at VHS. I didn't know that some of them were that good."
The Harlem Wizards did a fantastic job interacting with the audience and keeping them on their feet. The upbeat music kept everyone dancing! In between the quarters, the Wizards would call up people from the audience and play games, basketball, or even dance with them. During the intermission, Wizards player DP called up elementary school students to come and play ball with him and ended up losing to 7-year- old Cooks Corners student Laila Collins!
VHS senior and varsity basketball player Justin Osburn was the referee for the night. He said, “I think it’s cool for the people of Valpo to be able to experience this. It really is a fun and entertaining night. I get to watch the show and see a bunch of happy kids which is always awesome. I think it’s great that a team like the Harlem Wizards even comes to Valpo. We don’t see that every day!”
The Valpo All Stars consisted of faculty from the elementary and middle schools. Memorial, Hayes Leonard, Parkview, Centeral, Northview, Thomas Jefferson Elementary/Middle, Flink Lake, Cooks Corners, Benjamin Franklin, Immanuel, and St. Paul had faculty representing them in the game. Not to forget the Valpo Cheer Squad, which consisted of several devoted parents and faculty members.
Cooks Corners Elementary School Principal Erin “Unstoppable” Utesch kept her game face on throughout the event. After the game was over, she stated, “I honestly had a great time playing!
The sponsors of this event were Cavanaugh & Nondorf Orthodontics, Hampton Inn, Good Hospitality Services, Valparaiso Family Dentistry, Thorgren Tool & Molding Co., Elegan Customwear, Crozier’s Dairy Queen Grill & Chill, U.S. Army, Culver’s, and Aurelio’s Pizza.
Northview fifth-grader Skyler Jeffries summed up the event, grinning, “I think this is the best event I’ve ever been to. I’m totally into basketball, every one of these players are my favorite. I can’t wait for next year!”
To check out more information on the Harlem Wizards, go to www.harlemwizards.com.