TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — High school basketball players throughout Southern Arizona got the chance to play on the same court as the nation's top-ranked college team Monday at the Martin Luther King (MLK) Jr. Basketball Classic held at the University of Arizona's McKale Memorial Center.
The nonprofit organization Coaches for Charity puts on the event, which has been running for 22 years. 14 high school basketball teams, six girls teams and eight boys teams, were chosen to participate and play one of their league games at McKale, along with their band and cheer team.
Ed Ackerley, president of Coaches for Charity, says it's a celebration of sportsmanship and a way to commemorate the King legacy at the same time.
"Both the coaches and players, this is probably the only time they'll ever get to play on McKale Court. For the fans, many times this is the first time that some of the families have ever even been to McKale because they can't come to the University of Arizona games because it's sold out,"Ackerley said. "And so it gives players, band, cheer, pom teams an opportunity to come and play at a really fantastic arena, but then it also gives us a chance to honor Dr. Martin Luther King."
Cisco Llamas, a senior at Sahuaro High School and Jerry Mendoza, a senior at Cholla High School, say MLK made it possible for them to compete with one another and be judged by their ability, not the color of their skin.
"Martin Luther King, you know, he wanted all of us to come together. He wanted us to be one. And now we are competing with brothers and everybody here," said Llamas.
Mendoza echoed those sentiments.
"Well as a fellow Mexican, it means a lot because everybody feels connected. We feel like we're empowering each other because we're supporting one another on MLK day," Mendoza said.
Coralia Utsey, a junior cheerleader at Cienega High School, said Dr. King's work made it possible for her to cheer with her team.
"Looking at my team now, we're so diverse and I love that about us. I love that it's never even brought up as a topic, our skin," Utsey said.
Many students also had the chance to win a scholarship by writing an essay to Coaches for Charity about the impact MLK has had on their life.
"For 22 years, we've had a scholarship program where students across university level all the way down to middle school can write an essay about what Dr. Martin Luther King means to him and his ideals and why that's important in today's world," Ackerley said. "And so there's a committee that reviews all those and we typically give out about 10 scholarships a year and they range from $250 up to $5000 depending on who it is and how much they need."
Coaches for Charity gave away six scholarships this year at the MLK Basketball Classic. Over the last 22 years, with the help of community sponsorships and other events such as the Football Kickoff Classic, Bowlathon and more, over $50,000 has been given in scholarships.
Ackerley says money raised at the 10 events held throughout the year also goes toward athletic equipment for elementary schools that don't have athletic budgets.
You do not need to be a student athlete to enter the essay contest.
As long as you’re a high school student in Southern Arizona, you’re eligible to apply in the fall.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Hoopin' for a cause: MLK Basketball Classic benefits high school students
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