The Lakeland High School basketball program will host its first Winter Madness to benefit the Suffolk News-Herald Cheer Fund next week.

“This is the first year that we have ever done the Winter Madness to help the Cheer Fund,” said Lakeland’s men’s basketball head coach, Clint Wright Sr. “We have events held around the holiday time frame, and I thought it be would be good to make a donation.”

The Cheer Fund, sponsored by the newspaper, collects donations each year to purchase toys for local children in need for Christmas.

The evening will feature multiple events for spectators including an alumni game with the boys’ varsity team. Wright has already had plenty of old Cavaliers agree to return for the fundraising event.

“There are about seven or eight guys that have said they will come,” Wright said. “It will be good to see those guys play again, and we will have a nice, controlled game. We are not concerned about the outcome. We just want the event to be well attended.”

While the boys’ varsity team will play against alumni, the girls’ varsity team will split and battle itself for an intersquad scrimmage.

Both the varsity and junior varsity cheer squads will perform, along with some alumni.

The event will also feature a slam dunk contest, a free throw contest and a three-point competition. Wright hopes that some of the school administration will get involved in the festivities.

“We are looking to have this event every year, because it is a worthy cause,” Wright said.

The doors at Winter Madness open at 5 p.m. on Nov. 20, and the event will begin at 6 p.m. Admission is a $5 donation.

Winter Madness will be held at Lakeland High School, 214 Kenyon Road.

For those unable to make it to the event, donations to the Suffolk Cheer Fund can be made by sending a check made out to Suffolk Cheer Fund to the Suffolk News-Herald, P.O. Box 1220, Suffolk, VA 23439 or bringing it to the Suffolk News-Herald office, 130 S. Saratoga St., Suffolk, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Donations can be made in honor of or in memory of loved ones. Donations can also be marked anonymous if the donor chooses. Those who wish can also have their photo taken presenting the check.

Online giving is also available. Visit Suffolk Cheer Fund on Facebook to find a PayPal link.