Kids of all different ages flourished through the doors of Vaughn Stapleton Gymnasium at Bridgewater-Raritan High School for the much anticipated “All Stars vs. NFL Pros” basketball game and fundraiser.
The event took place on March 29.
The event served as a fundraiser for the Bridgewater-Raritan High School Parent-Teacher Organization and was set up in collaboration with Dreams for Kids, Inc. Dreams for Kids, Inc. is a non-profit organization started by Lonnie Allgood, with the aim of giving back to the community and encouraging children to envision greatness.
The event featured six eight-minute basketball games against former National Football League players Kareem Huggins, J’vonne Parker, Darian Barnes and Reggie Brown along with former National Basketball Association player Horace Jenkins.
The NFL Pros played against six different teams: the “Cool Kids,” the Unified Basketball team, the Bridgewater Township police, “The Rec’ers,” the “Six 7’s” and the “Swish Kebabs.”
The event kicked off a couple hours before the game at 6 p.m., where attendees who paid for VIPs could meet the NFL Pros and collect signatures from them.
All attendees were then welcomed into the Vaughn Stapleton Gymnasium, where the games began with the national anthem sung by Maya Little, a sophomore at Bridgewater Raritan High School.
The first team to face off against the NFL Pros was the “Cool Kids,” made up of players from Bridgewater Raritan High School’s boys varsity basketball team: Brody Nussman, Lucas Travisano, Beckett Naylor, Dan Ciser, Bobby Gillespie, Ramses Binns and Patrick Campbell. The “Cool Kids” managed to achieve a tight victory against the NFL Pros, winning 17-15.
The second game featured members of the Unified Basketball team: Haylie Billerman, EJ Ramirez, Giovanni Fuentes, Lexi Perle, Pranav Bhagirath, Owen Crimmins, Shaunak Yalgi, Sarah Rashid, Rishi Thoppay, Joey Ciufo, Alyssa Eschmann, Andy Gallup and Daniel Oldham. The Unified Basketball team proudly claimed victory with a score of 20-6.
The Bridgewater Police Department took the court for the last game before halftime, sneaking in a 2-pointer seconds before the buzzer to win 14-12. The Bridgewater Police Department team included: AJ Akins, Noel Rosado, Mike Macchia, Brian Eitner, Anthony Milito, Colin Outerbridge, Ty Barnett, Garrett Van Dorem, Mike Leight and Chief of Police John B. Mitzak.
The Bridgewater Raritan High School Dance Team stole the floor for a captivating halftime performance, entertaining the families in the bleachers.
After halftime, the NFL Pros achieved their first and long awaited victory of the night against “The Rec’ers,” a team composed of coaches from the recreation department: Justice Ifan, Chris Ward, Sean McKeever, Dylan Dupuis, Kevin DiGrazio, Robert Cooper, Jason Klein, Julio Abrehu and Joseph Shatz.
The NFL Pros brought in their all against the “Six 7’s,” a team of Bridgewater Raritan High School students: Robert Simpkins, Joaquin Gervacio, Alex Rubin, Cameron Williams, Daniel Abramson, Ramses Binns, Andre Butler, Alijah Wilson and John Maltese. The NFL Pros stole the game entirely, winning with a wide margin of 21-7.
The NFL Pros finished their tiring night with their sixth and final game against the “Swish Kebabs,” a team of Bridgewater Raritan High School students: Jackie Shimko, Kylie Rodriguez, Serena DeCastro, Michael Barbiero, Aaron Tyler, Troy Rutkowski, Cam Rice, Gianni Genao, Shaun Nelson and Pablo Perez. The “Swish Kebabs” took the last win of the night at 17-15.
After the games were over, the NFL players reflected on the event and their motivations for participating in it.
Reggie Brown, with experience as a wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles, describes his motivations for participating in the fundraiser.
“The kids. It’s all about the kids. Whenever we have something like this for kids, I guarantee you’ll find me there,” he said. “It’s the motivation by itself. I mean, what other reason to play ball, than to do something for kids. So, I’m excited to do this.”
Darian Barnes, a former fullback for the New York Giants, describes how he enjoyed the event.
“It was a wonderful time. It was good to get out again and help out in the community so it’s very exciting. I’m glad to be a part of it.”
Horace Jenkins, a former point guard for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association, reflected on the event as a whole.
“I really enjoyed it. It’s for a good cause and anything that’s a good cause for the kids, I’m all for it. I think this experience alone gives kids an opportunity to get in depth and closer to former professional athletes, and it kind of gives them inspiration,” he said. “They probably aspire to become what we were fortunate enough to achieve, and hopefully, we can give them some motivation by coming out here, spending time with them and competing with them. So, I think it’s a great event.”
Kareem Huggins, a former running back for the New York Jets, gave advice to kids who aspire to be successful athletes.
“To any aspiring athletes, I would say just follow the dream that got put inside your heart. Be consistent, persevere, compete and outwork everybody,” he said. “Just prepare today like there’s no tomorrow.”
J’vonne Parker, a former defensive tackle for the Denver Broncos, describes his experience playing in the event.
“I really enjoyed this event. It was a great way to give back to the community and for the kids.I hope we inspired the kids to become what we could.”
The event was a major success and the high school looks forward to planning more similar events in the future.
