Don’t expect a bake sale, raffle or car wash if you show up for
tonight’s San Juan Bautista Rotary Club fundraiser. The only sure
thing about tonight’s event is that no one knows exactly what’s
going to happen.
San Juan Bautista – Don’t expect a bake sale, raffle or car wash if you show up for tonight’s San Juan Bautista Rotary Club fundraiser. The only sure thing about tonight’s event is that no one knows exactly what’s going to happen.
The Mission City’s small Rotary Club will put on a charity game tonight at Anzar High School against the Harlem Ambassadors, a performance-oriented basketball team similar to the Harlem Globetrotters which has held shows throughout the world. While the Rotary will be raising money for the club’s various projects, the Ambassadors will be promoting their stay-in-school message for youngsters.
“We’re moving into the unknown here. We don’t know what will happen, but we’ll hopefully have fun getting there,” said Paul Goodman, a San Juan Rotarian who has been coaching a team of about 15 area volunteers for the past two months in preparation for tonight’s game. The first half of the game should be straight basketball, Goodman said, while the second half will feature comedic antics and flashy skills from the Harlem Ambassadors (think Harlem Globetrotters except co-ed, less choreographed and focused on keeping kids in school and off drugs).
While the Ambassadors are professional basketball players who have all played college hoops and have traveled the world showing off their special blend of sports and humor, the Tri-County Volunteers, as the home-team calls itself, are a group of locals who have dabbled in their city adult leagues and are now ready to take on the pros for a good cause.
“The majority of the team is middle-aged adults, but we do have one gentleman who’s 63,” Goodman said. “I think our strategy is going to be to try to beat them with the long shots, because we won’t be able to touch them under the hoops. I think our maximum height is 6’2″ and their minimum height is 6’4″,” he added with a laugh.
After the game the Ambassadors will stick around to sign autographs and talk with fans, according to Pearl Masterson, a San Juan Rotarian who organized the event. The Rotary still has about half of its 500 tickets available for tonight’s game. They’ll use the proceeds towards current projects including paying for the new snack shack at San Juan Elementary, funding public bathrooms in San Juan and getting flu shots for needy seniors, Masterson said.
Jessica Quandt covers politics for the Free Lance. Reach her at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or at [email protected].
