Lincoln-Way Teachers to Play Hoops for Scholarships

Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210 teachers will meet on the basketball court April 8 to raise money for college scholarships.

 "For 10 years, we have battled, strained, fallen, bruised, sweated and struggled to breathe while raising money for charity,” said David Gallagher, the social science department chair at Lincoln-Way West who is organizing the faculty basketball game with Lincoln-Way Central social science teacher Matt Bowden,  Lincoln-Way East science department chair Steve Miller and Lincoln-Way North PE/health teacher Jon White.

"On April 8, we will once again be playing to raise money for the Lincoln-Way Teachers’ Memorial Scholarship – a scholarship for future teachers from teachers,” he added.

 The annual faculty basketball game was initiated more than a decade ago by Lincoln-Way teacher and coach Michael Davis who thought it would be fun to pit the district’s older teachers (age 40 and over) against its younger ones (age 39 and below). He ended up donating the proceeds to a faculty member who had suffered a stroke that same school year.

 Two years later, after Davis’ own premature death from a heart attack, staff members decided to continue the tradition in Davis’ memory and donate the game proceeds to his children for their college education funds.

Today, the friendly rivalry continues with teachers over the age of 30 playing teachers age 30 and under. Proceeds from the friendly match-up go toward scholarships for Lincoln-Way students who plan to attend college and major in secondary education.

Faculty members from Lincoln-Way Central, Lincoln-Way East, Lincoln-Way North and Lincoln-Way West high schools have agreed to lace up their sneakers and meet on the basketball court for a friendly game of hoops.

“It’s an opportunity for the four schools to unite as a district, have a little fun and help out our students,” said Miller.

More than 50 teachers have agreed to play in the Mike Davis Faculty Basketball Game on April 8. Others will be involved in everything from setup and teardown to operating the concession stands.  The schools’ student activities coordinators plan to keep the crowd enthused by organizing contests for the student spectators throughout the evening.

“This game is such a fun experience,” said White. “It does not matter if you play or just come to cheer on a team. The whole district gets in to the game.”

A faculty AFROTC Color Guard will get the evening started by presenting the colors. Lincoln-Way West auditorium technician Beth Wilson will sing the national anthem. Social science teacher Jeff Render will announce the game, and Lincoln-Way Central math department chair Al Haring will handle the scorebook.

 Supt. Lawrence A. Wyllie plans to get in the action as well by shooting free throws for both teams, as he has done since the game’s inception.

“There is such a buzz around school the days leading up to the game,” said White. “I have friends (Lincoln-Way alums) who do not teach, and every year they ask, `When is the game, I want to come watch it is so much fun.’ ”

The basketball game will begin at 7 p.m. at Lincoln-Way West High School, 21701 S. Gougar Road, New Lenox. Tickets are $3 for adults and $2 for students.

Fans are encouraged to donate more if they wish.

“What started out as a way of giving back to one person who had given so much has expanded into a night of giving to many,” said Miller.