For the second consecutive year, teachers and parents from Hillside and Eliot elementary schools will join at Needham High School on Friday, March 9 for a spirited game of basketball to raise money for the schools’ PTCs. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tip off is at 7 p.m.

The two schools met on the basketball court for the first time in spring 2011. To the delight of the PTCs, the fundraiser surpassed the expectations of its planners—both in money generated and attendance.

Said Katie Rutter, co-president of the Hillside PTC: “Our first basketball game was a huge success. The gym was packed. Kids and parents raved about the game for weeks afterward. So we (the Hillside and Eliot PTCs) thought we’d start a tradition.”

To recapture the energy of last year’s sold-out event, the schools are jamming the night with a variety of family-friendly attractions and activities. These include a student-led singing of the National Anthem, half-time free throw contest, raffle and the sale of school-branded sports novelties including banners and foam fingers. Modell’s Sporting Goods is also running a “TeamWeeks” promotion, enabling both schools to raise more money through in-store sales in the weeks surrounding the event.  

Suzanne Wilcox, principal at Eliot School, said the event reinforces school spirit and the value of collaboration: "Building community is a focus at our schools. The game shows students the importance of teamwork and collaboration in a very fun and public way.”

In the spirit of collaboration, the schools are offering two opportunities for parents and teachers from both teams to practice together—one immediately after school and a second practice in the evening.

If last year’s event is any indication, the real stars of the March 9 game will be the athletes, especially the teachers. They got the loudest cheers when handling the ball.

This year, both Eliot and Hillside have made special efforts to stack their team rosters with teachers. Said Raylene Roberts, a Hillside teacher who played on last year’s team and is on the roster March 9: “The cheers from the kids were overwhelming. I really felt like a star!”