THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 9, 1996 TAG: 9608070112
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 17 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JOHN-HENRY DOUCETTE, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: 30 lines
When Chesapeake teens flocked to the Great Bridge Community Center July 27 to shoot a little basketball, it was for a good cause.
Each teen paid an entry fee of two canned food items. The center collected 80 cans, which were given to a Portsmouth charity for the homeless.
``Three hours wasn't enough,'' said organizer Kim M. Hancock. The teens were having too much fun to stop when their time on the court expired.
Hancock looked for new events for the center's young people to get involved with after coming to the Chesapeake Parks and Recreational Services Department from its Virginia Beach counterpart in May.
A basketball tournament seemed to be just the thing.
``The kids come in here and all they do is play ball,'' said Hancock. ``That's just what they like to do.''
Strict Chesapeake Department of Parks and Recreation fund-raising rules made seeking direct sponsorship a sticky proposition for the center.
Canned goods were the way to go. They made the cost minimal to participants, said center supervisor Jeff Bunn, and made the charitable donation something tangible, something more than a dollar sign.
Latoya Melendez, 12, helped organize the event with Hancock and seven other teens. They made pizzas to feed the participants. They set up the gymnasium.
``I feel good about myself because I know that I helped somebody,'' said Melendez. by CNB