Tourney raises money and food
Published 10:44 pm Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Deandre Taylor of the Lakers, a team sponsored by Lafayette Barber’s Shop, plays against a team sponsored by the KD Fashion Company during the East Suffolk Federated Civic League Can Food Drive basketball tournament on Tuesday night at the Booker T. Washington Recreation Center.
The East Suffolk Federated Civic League and the Suffolk Department of Parks and Recreation put on a weekend charity basketball tournament to garner canned food donations and raise money for the Nansemond-Suffolk Volunteer Rescue Squad.
This is the 26th consecutive year for the ESFCL Canned Food Drive and it took place at the Booker T. Washington Recreation Center on Saturday, Monday and concluded last night.
ESFCL President David Baker explained the purpose behind the event.
“Times are tight, and we’re helping feed the people that can’t afford to buy their food,” he said. “Then, the youth get the chance to come out and play organized ball without having to spend a whole lot of money.”
He was pleased with how the drive proceeded this year.
“Great,” he said. “Better this year than it’s been. Every year is a little bit better, because we’re able to do a little bit more and bring more teams in.”
This time, there were four boys’ teams for ages 13-17, and two girls’ teams in the same age group. There were six adult teams, for 18 years old and up, four for men and two for women.
The teams came from a variety of backgrounds. Several teams were sponsored by local businesses, like the Style Shop, Lafayette Barber’s Shop, and KD Fashion, to name a few. One team, the Hometown Heroes, represented the Suffolk Police Department with officers playing on the team.
Some teams were local, and some traveled to play. The Warriors, a men’s team, were a Suffolk Parks & Recreation squad, while another men’s team came from North Carolina.
Baker explained that the ESFCL selects three different organizations that distribute canned food. They then submit an equal amount of the food donated to those three organizations.
The Salvation Army and the Suffolk Christian Fellowship Center were two of the groups selected, and the third had yet to be chosen.
In addition to these donations, Baker explained that the ESFCL also seeks to raise enough money through the event to donate a sum to the Nansemond-Suffolk Volunteer Rescue Squad.
Each night a ham and turkey were raffled off and all participants in the tournament received medallions.
