A Healthy Lynnfield brought the fun, high-flyin Harlem Wizards back to town Sunday. The Lynnfield High School gymnasium was packed with Lynnfield families gathered to watch teachers, school administrators, and community leaders take on the Wizards in a non-traditional basketball game.
More than 600 people attended the event designed to raise funds to support A Healthy Lynnfield and its work to prevent substance misuse and to ensure those impacted have the help they need. Rebecca Scenna, a teacher at Huckleberry Hill School, was one of them.
“The Wizards game was so entertaining and so much fun with community members putting themselves out there for a good cause,” she said. “This event brought the community together and raised money for necessary programming and awareness around substance abuse, mental health, education, and other activities and programming for A Healthy Lynnfield. I was thrilled to be able to participate in such a fun and meaningful event with colleagues and community members.”
The crowd was treated to great skills, teamwork, slick dribbling, alley-oops, and crazy slams. The non-hoop fans attending quickly found out that it was much more than just a basketball game. The funny, theatrical, exciting, and spectacular activities kept the crowd entertained the entire time.
“Last year’s event was so successful we knew immediately that we had to bring the Wizards back this year,” said Diane DeLeo, the program director at A Healthy Lynnfield. “We sold out so quickly that it was clear that this was an event that families were excited to attend. We know that community events like this help to build protective factors for children which lead to better decisions when it comes to drug and alcohol use.”
“Our goal is to spread love through basketball and bringing the community together,” said Jamel Thompson, Harlem Wizards road manager and voice of the game. Before the start of the game, Thompson said, “I hope everyone has a family night of fun and that the kids enjoy the opportunity to get up close and personal with their favorite players.”
Wellpoint served as the MVP sponsor of the event. Cheerleader sponsors were the Massachusetts Center for Adolescence Wellness and Hixon + Bevilacqua Home Group.
For more information about A Healthy Lynnfield, visit http://www.ahealthylynnfield.org.
