Philadelphia Basketball Competition Helps Kids Get Ready For School
By Molly Daly
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The inaugural "Ultimate Back 2 School Basketball Challenge" was held Saturday at the Kingsessing Rec Center in Southwest Philadelphia.
The challenge -- intended to be an annual event that'll help provide students with backpacks, notebooks, and other supplies -- is the brainchild of State Senator Anthony Hardy Williams.
"With the troubled Philadelphia school system," he says, "we wanted to provide some level of support, humble though it may be, so we picked a number of schools in my district to provide them with school supplies, and also let them know that people are watching and supporting them."
Williams, other elected officials, and community leaders fielded 16 teams, contributing money as sponsors, with the winning team's chosen school getting the lion's share of supplies.
City Councilman Kenyatta Johnson says the event offers kids the tools they need to be ready to learn:
"I remember when I was a young kid going back to school, I was always excited to have my lunchbox, my pencil box, pencils, erasers my papers my notebooks...I know for a fact the young people will be very excited with the supplies they're going to receive from this event."