Gallery: Hoops for Hope finals
Hoops for Hope was held on Nov. 10 and 11. It was followed by a finals night on Nov. 12. Approximately $34,000 from all of the Blue Valley schools was raised for both Children’s Mercy and the V Foundation. This year, Hoops for Hope had a common finals night as an opportunity for all three Blue Valley high schools to come together and celebrate the money that was raised, which is a new addition. On finals night there were shooting competitions and a lip sync battle. There were also a few special guests that came to talk and cheer on the student body and the cancer patients including former Chiefs player Trent Green and Sporting Kansas City players Benny Feilhaber and Chance Myers. Many cancer patients were also present to celebrate.
“I have been a part of Hoops for Hope for all four years of high school and have loved every minute of it,” student co-director Megan Price said. “I love that I can put something so special together that positively impacts children in our community. The emotions that I receive after handing the check to Children’s Mercy leaves me speechless. I love to help others and especially when I could easily be in the shoes of those kiddos. I want Southwest to know that Hoops for Hope isn’t about talent or how good you are at basketball, but it’s about giving back to your community for a greater cause.”
Hoops for Hope is growing into a larger foundation and is getting attention from many universities such as Kansas State. Although it was founded at Southwest, the message of giving back to cancer patients and their families is growing all over the state.
“I can’t believe that my years with Hoops for Hope have come to an end here at BVSW,” Price said. “But, I can’t wait to see where this tournament goes in the future and I can’t wait to see how many individuals in the community have the aspiration of crushing kid cancer.”
