The annual basketball showdown between Fox and Seckman high school programs will include a special game this year.
The Full Court Friends program, which includes teams of students with special needs from the two schools, will play a 10-minute basketball game between the varsity girls and varsity boys matchups Friday at Seckman High School, 2800 Seckman Road, in Imperial.
The Full Court Friends game also will feature a performance by the Sparkle Squad, a cheer program made up of students with special needs.
The basketball games pitting the two Fox C-6 School District high schools against each other are called the Fox C-6 Showcase. Admission to the showcase, which Seckman High refers to as the Candy Cane Classic, is $5 for adults and $3 for students.
Games begin at 3:30 p.m., with the boys and girls junior varsity teams squaring off in different gyms, and a boys freshmen matchup is set to start at 5 p.m. The girls varsity game also begins at 5 p.m., and the boys varsity game tips off at 7 p.m.
The Full Court Friends matchup is expected to start at about 6:30 p.m., with the game to be played in two five-minute halves. The Sparkle Squad will perform for about a minute between the halves, said Seckman High assistant principal Chelsea Boyd, who is organizing the showcase for students with special needs.
Boyd said it is the first time the unified basketball teams will play a game, and the students are excited to be part of the annual basketball showdown. She said each of the unified basketball teams is made up of 10 students, and the Sparkle Squad has five Fox High students and two Seckman High students.
“It is very well attended, and this is the one missing piece that we wanted to add to it,” Boyd said of the basketball showcase. “Our school district is very inclusive when it comes to students with special needs, and we wanted to give that stage to highlight their talents and skills.”
During the games, donations will be accepted for Brenden’s Friday Backpacks, a program that sends children in need home with nonperishable foods, and the Fox C-6 Care Closet, which provides gently used clothes and personal care items for families in need.
Suggested donations for Brenden’s Friday Backpacks include canned soup and pasta for children; pudding and fruit cups; 16-ounce or small plastic jars of peanut butter; granola and breakfast bars and single-servings of cereal.
Suggested donations for the Fox C-6 Care Closet include socks and underwear, girls leggings, boys athletic pants, deodorant, liquid hand soap and tissues.