The gymnasium lobby doors open and people begin to fill up the room. Rows of baskets and bins line the walls, filling up with canned food donations.
On November 26, the Highlands High School basketball teams will be hosting their annual Hoops for Hunger fundraiser.
Hoops for Hunger is a charity event put on by the Highlands Athletics Program, where the boys and girls basketball teams will have the opportunity to give back to their community.
This year, there will be two organizations to donate to. All canned goods will be given to the Henry Hosea House, and the monetary donations to the Special Olympics of Campbell County (SOCC). In previous years, the programs have raised as much as 2,300 pounds of donations for the Henry Hosea House. However, this is the first year partnering with the SOCC.
“I think it would be really great if we came together as a community and raised money along with other donations in order to help people out,” basketball player Marrissa Green (12) said.
The Henry Hosea House is a non-profit soup kitchen in Newport, Kentucky.
The mission of the Henry Hosea House is to provide food and nourishment for the bodies of the men, women, and children of the Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati area.
The Special Olympics is an international program of year-round sports training and athletic competition for more than one million children and adults with intellectual disabilities.
The goal of SOCC is for all persons with intellectual disabilities to have the chance to become useful and productive citizens who are accepted and respected in their communities.
In addition to supporting great causes, Hoops for Hunger is a large way the community gets to see all the talent each program has to offer.
In order to attract community members, there will be different games, contests, scrimmages, and introductions participated in not only the programs, but also community members.
Other teams, such as dance and cheer, will be showcasing their talent as well.
“I’m excited to see the community participate in this event. I think it is going to be really fun,” varsity cheer captain Lily Cleveland (12) said.
