Walking through Garneau’s galleria is a risky business. There are always bake sales and button sales and popcorn sales to weave, dodge, and taste your way through. But any student at Garneau will tell you that the biggest landmine of them all isn’t baked goods or petitions, it’s intramurals. Students swarming at the gym doors waiting to be let in. What’s it this time? I always wonder as I’m shoving my way through the crowds. This week I finally took the plunge: I joined the swarming students and watched a basketball game.
Mr. Hillman and Zaheed (centre, holding a basketball) pose with the Random Mandems.
Garneau’s charity basketball tournament took place this past Wednesday. The student turnout was impressive, to say the least. Spectators filled the gym to get a glimpse of the action. Both games took place in a half court, with teams aiming to score from the same basket. In order to shoot, players had to pass the centre line and double back to the hoop. The games were short, but there was never a dull moment—the limited space sent players crashing into teammates, opponents, and spectators alike.
The first game was the junior final. Teams Default and Ballerz faced off against each other, with Default winning 5-2. The senior final that followed was the main attraction: the Random Mandems versus the Boon Docks. This game was a closer match. The teams played neck-to-neck for most of the game, but a controversial call by Mr. Hillman put the Mandems in the lead during the last couple minutes. The Mandems scored 7-6 victory over the Boon Docks. Both winning teams of the tournament received Cineplex movie passes and a trophy graciously donated by D&G.
The event raised over $200 for a World Vision education project in South Darfur, Sudan. The money will go towards new school buildings, school supplies for students, and improvements to local school facilities and school water supplies. But whether it’s intramural sports or building schools, the Garneau charity basketball tournament wouldn’t have been possible without the efforts of grade 12 student Zaheed Shivji, Mr. Hillman, and the Marc Garneau Athetic Association.
