The Northwest High School gym was packed on Sunday for the Harlem Wizards fundraising basketball show, said Danny Tuggle, president of the Northwest Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce, which sponsored the event.
Tuggle said 623 tickets to the show were sold, raising about $7,000 for the chamber.
“Attendance was down, but this was the first time we had it in two years,” he said. “We were very happy people came out to enjoy it.”
It was the fourth time for the Harlem Wizards team, which is known for its basketball tricks and ball-handling skills, to put on a show at Northwest High in Cedar Hill. The last time was in 2020.
Tuggle said the chamber plans to give 10 scholarships of $500 each to local high school students, including two that will go to students who plan to attend trade school.
He said the chamber used about $1,800 from the money raised at the game to make a deposit for the Harlem Wizards to return next year for another fundraising show.
On Saturday, the Harlem Wizards took on four teams made up of local residents. One team was sponsored by Piros Signs in Barnhart and included Northwest High teachers, and another team, sponsored by New Hope Fellowship Church in High Ridge, was made up of first responders.
A third team was made up of people served by NextStep for Life, and that team was sponsored by Dobbs Tire and Auto, based in High Ridge.
The fourth team included employees from HDD Solutions in Cedar Hill, as well as Brian May, who owns Chapel Hill Mortuary in Cedar Hill, and Vicky James, CEO of Chapel Hill, which sponsored that team.
James said she sat on the bench as a cheerleader during the game.
Tuggle said the Harlem Wizards beat each team.
“My favorite group was from NextStep,” he said.
Kids whose parents paid an upcharge on the ticket price received “Wiz Kid” jerseys, special front-row seats and extra time to visit with players.
Cedar Hill Fire Protection District Assistant Chief David Jones said he played on the first-responder team.
“This was my first time playing,” he said. “It was fun how they got the crowd and kids involved.”
“Great family time, no one had their phones out,” James said.