Red Rage hosts 10th annual staff vs. student basketball tournament

Let the game begin. On March 14, the students and staff will take it too the court for the annual Staff vs. Student charity basketball game.

The basketball game will continue in its 10th year of being a part of Central. This event has been put on by Red Rage, Central’s pep club. Todd Holmberg, staff participant in the game and previous sponsor of Red Rage aided in bringing the game back to central after the game’s absence for eight years.

“The Sophomore Class council hosted [a staff vs. student basketball game] about 18 years ago,” said Holmberg. “We resurrected the game 10 years ago to raise money for the Cohn’s and Colitis Foundation.”

Holmberg’s wife had recently been diagnosed with Cohn’s disease 10 years ago, when that foundation was chosen to benefit. Each year, Central tries to select a charity to benefit someone in the Central community.

“We pick a cause that has touched Central,” Holmberg said.

Red Rage has picked two charities to donate to this year: The American Cancer Society, in honor of Art Teacher Theresa Funke who died of cancer this past fall, and Miseracordia for student Jason Hopkins who recently passed away.

Junior Andrew Barret will participate in the game for the first time by coaching the J.K.B. team. Barret believes the charities are appropriate choices.

“Central always does so much for the community,” Barret said.

With the charities chosen with Central community members in mind, the game is a great way to build community efforts at central.

“Both the teachers and the students want to win, but everyone in the gym knows that they are there for a bigger purpose,” said Holmberg. “It makes me proud to be a redhawk.”

Putting on the event for charity doesn’t stop rivalries building between the staff and students.

“I will be upset if we win by anything less than 20 points,” Barret said, while Holmberg believes the staff will win since they have “always won” in past years.

The game will be held in the main gym on March 14 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased as the door or prior to the event.