A sold-out fundraiser Saturday at Herricks High School featuring the Harlem Wizards raised approximately $35,000 for graduating seniors this year.
The event, organized by the Herricks District Council of PTAs, featured teams of staff and admin playing against the Wizards, who entertained through basketball since 1962, raising over $3 million for schools and non-profits.
“It takes a village to put on an event like this,” said Madeline Svitack, president of the council of PTAs Executive Committee.
The event raised money for the Herricks PTA Scholarship Fund, which provides an award to graduating members of this upcoming class.
To be considered for the award, students must be on the high school parent-teacher-student association and submit an application which is then considered by a committee of representatives from each of the district’s PTA units.
Along with playing teams from each school in the district, the Wizards provided some entertainment of their own while students volunteered to help with raffles, face-painting, tattoos and concessions, among other things.
“The teachers were competitive, but they did not get the win” Svitack joked. “The Wizards did a great job Saturday of getting the crowd involved, keeping it fun and making it great.”
For over 60 years the PTA has granted scholarships and specifically held a fundraiser with the Wizards for a few years before the COVID-19 pandemic. Saturday was the first in-person event after collecting donations and sponsorships online in the past few years.
“Thank you to all the Herricks PTAs who not only sponsored the event but provided the volunteers to make it successful,” Svitack said.
Sponsors for the event included Taecole Tae Kwon Do, Westbury Dental Spa, Herricks Muslim Families, Herricks High School PTSA, Herricks Community Fund, Herricks Middle School PTA, Sherwin Williams, Crescent Apothecary, Opa Grille, Thomas F. Dalton Funeral Home, Island Plastic Surgery, The Hannah Kroner School of Dance, Premium Supermarket, Schneider Architectural Works, Farine Baking Company, Center Street PTA, Denton Avenue PTA, Searingtown PTA and Herricks SEPTA.
