Harlem Wizards Game November 17 Will Be a Slam Dunk

Once again, this month, the Harlem Wizards entertainment style basketball will come to Franklin to benefit education initiatives in the public schools. “Harlem Wizards Vs. Franklin Public Schools ‘Team FPS’” will take place on Friday, November 17, at 7 p.m. Doors open at six. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for students in advance, and $17 for adults and $14 for students at the door.
“We tend to get a good team,” says Franklin Education Foundation’s Kit Brady, of the specific Harlem Wizards team that will come to Franklin. “We tend to sell out, and we’re pretty organized. We make nearly $15,000 on that one fundraiser.” Brady says that tickets for the family-friendly event are basically sold online, unless any are left the night of the event.
The Harlem Wizards will play Team FPS, (for Franklin Public Schools). This group is comprised of teachers, administrators, and “this year, we have a really good team of high school players playing also,” says Brady. “Something the basketball coaches really liked was we really showcased their players. Their stars will be playing.”
The FEF chose Tri-County as the venue, says Brady, because the gymnasium at Tri-County could hold a large number of people for a single event.
“Franklin’s gym can hold 1,600, but with two gyms of 800, the setup was not amenable to us,” says Brady, who adds that Tri-County was “very approachable,” even though the education foundation does not fund its school. It’s a bigger, one-court gym, and they’re very gracious to let us use it every year. It’s worked out great each year.”
The Harlem Wizards, says Brady, promotes a positive message about overcoming hardship to succeed. “A lot of them have overcome very personal hardships, and here they are playing professional basketball,” says Brady.
The Harlem Wizards was started back in 1962 by sports promoter Howie Davis. This show basketball group, with three teams, played in over 400 communities across the USA just last season alone, while raising over $2 million. The two-hour November 17 game will present Harlem Wizards’ brand of “Trick Hoops & Alley Oops” entertainment basketball has been packing gyms across the globe for over 50 years. Their show includes amazing slams, world-class tricks, precision teamwork and humor.
The night will also include many great raffle items and food (pizza, donuts and popcorn) available for cash purchase. You can also order a Wizards shirt online when you order your tickets and pick it up the night of the game.
Tickets for the Harlem Wizards game can be can be ordered online at www.harlemwizards.com.
Since 1997, the Franklin Education Foundation, which holds regular board meetings once a month and is open to new volunteers, has funded over $325,000 in education grants to Franklin Public Schools.
Franklin Public School staff members are encouraged to submit creative, innovative ideas for programs or activities that would not traditionally be funded by tax dollars.
In the 2016-2017 school year alone, the FEF awarded 8 grants totaling $18,970 to teachers at all levels of Franklin Public Schools. Grant recipients included:
• 5th grade elementary ukulele program in which 5th grade students at all elementary schools learn to play the ukulele.
• Student self-regulation strategies/tools for each classroom that will allow students at Jefferson Elementary to stay in class and maintain a readiness level for learning.
• Mobile, augmented reality sandbox/learning center for Horace-Mann students to have a hands‐on opportunity to engage with social studies and science concepts around topography, erosion, physical features, settlement, and volcanic activity.
• Hands-on, inquiry-based solar energy research project for Horace-Mann 7th grade students to directly investigate solar energy and properly explore learning through the inquiry process where students design, build, and test solar panel structures.
• Book club with author visits by Skype at Remington Middle School.
• Program to update and reorganize the Remington Middle School book room.
• A snowshoe program to enhance the physical education, health, and wellness curriculum at Remington Middle School.
• Interdisciplinary program to create a Byzantine Period mosaic art installation while integrating art, math and social studies concepts at Remington Middle School.
See www.franklined.org or Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/franklined.org for more information on the Franklin Education Foundation.
The Franklin Education Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit organization. All gifts are fully tax deductible.