The Harlem Wizards, a basketball team known for their incredible and comedic tricks, will be coming to town on Thursday, January 16 at 7p.m. to put on a fundraiser that supports multiple causes. This event is not just about the game; it is about bringing the community together for a night of unforgettable fun and supporting a good cause.
Indra Josephs, president of the D95 Foundation, is excited about this year’s highly anticipated fundraising event. She shares her excitement about the event’s potential to bring people together, raise funds, and drive the foundation’s mission to support greater causes forward.
“The Harlem Wizards are a basketball team that travels all around the country to various schools, and they put on really just a spectacular show of entertainment. It is meant to be a fundraiser as well, but I look at it as a community event, [bringing] our students, our community members, and families together,” Josephs said. “They play against staff and teachers, and we actually have 18 staff members from all the different schools that are going to be playing with the Harlem Wizards. But when I say playing, it’s not like a professional basketball game, per se. It’s really a lot of different fun entertainment.”
Josephs emphasized that while the event is filled with fun and entertainment, it also serves a larger purpose of the foundation’s mission to support a greater cause.
“Our mission is to empower the community, including its students and its faculty, and to empower them to reach for additional learning opportunities that the typical tax dollars don’t cover. We get grants and initiatives that are requested by either teachers, students, or community members, where it is to enhance some additional opportunities that we’re able to support,” Josephs said.
On the other hand, Tyler Cronk, a player on the Harlem Wizards, is bringing his talent and energy to the fundraising event. Cronk is eager to connect with families and students while showcasing the fun and playful side of basketball.
“We try to get the students to come out as much as possible because we like to make them laugh. I know there’s a lot of stuff that goes on in school. We want everyone to get out of their comfort zone and [be] as involved as possible,” Cronk said. “We don’t only focus on the teachers and the parents, we focus on the students that go to the school. The kids are our main reach-out for our games, and that’s how we can spread the game, like, ‘Oh, let’s go to this game!’ by using either via social media or just by telling the parents, and their parents also tell other people.”
Cronk highlights the team’s commitment to create an inclusive and uplifting experience for all students while reflecting on the impact their event has on communities facing challenges.
“We go to small cities and bring [the kids] together. There was something that happened in Virginia with hurricanes and the people needed a way to get out of the house with all the stuff that was going on. It just makes us feel better about ourselves because we realize how much we impact these people by doing these events,” Cronk said.
While the Harlem Wizards focus on uplifting communities through their events, the game also provides an opportunity for the local school community to come together in meaningful ways.
“We don’t have too many opportunities where we can all come together as one school community, and we’re really trying this year to be even more creative with that. We actually have the middle school choir that’s going to be doing the national anthem. So there will be 30 or 40 students that will be performing the national anthem at the beginning of the game,” Josephs said. “We’re also trying to engage the middle school basketball teams as well as our leagues and hoops basketball teams by allowing them to create a tunnel [with their hands] as the Wizard players come out. We’re really trying to engage, to bring us all together as one community. I don’t know of too many other times where we get to do that as a school community.”
By incorporating performances and activities that engage students and families, Cronk emphasizes that this event aims to strive for a sense of unity while encouraging students to embrace the fun and excitement of the game.
“I know students. I was in high school once, you know, to be too cool for school and not go to this game. No, we want you to come to this game and show your true self,” Cronk said. “We want you to come to the game and laugh with us. We sign autographs, take pictures and do all that Snapchat stuff. [If someone] had a bad day at school, come to the game. We are gonna make you laugh, and people will have fun.”
For tickets, use this link here.
