Basketball Santas shoot hoops for others
The girls basketball teams from John Carroll, Aberdeen, Perryville and North East will play Santa Claus on Saturday, shooting hoops in their annual Shooting Santas Foundation fundraiser at Aberdeen High School at 10:30 a.m.
The players have lined up sponsors and will shoot 50 free throws each, raising money from each one they make.
Since its founding 1998, the Shooting Santas Foundation has brought in more than $40,000, including a record-setting $15,000 last season. The players hope to raise $20,000 this year to help 20 families have Christmas gifts they would not otherwise be able to afford
"The goal of SSF is to make sure no kid wakes up Christmas morning thinking Santa forgot to stop at their house this year," said John Carroll coach Mike Blizzard in a news release.
Once the money is collected, a player shops with a member of each family. They are wrapped and presented to the family on Dec. 23 while the children are in school, so they can believe that Santa delivered the gifts on Christmas morning.
"The benefits of what we do is much more than just the help given the families," Blizzard said. "By involving the players in the whole process we teach them about the need that is out there in the community that they may never have known about. They get to see the people they are helping and share a smile and a tear with them. It is a moving experience for all the players...one they will hopefully never forget and will one day do something similar in their communities when they are adults. We want to help folks now and create a new community of givers in the next generation."
For information or to donate, contact Blizzard, 443-243-0644.
