Harlem Wizards Bring Tricks, Humor to BRHS

The Harlem Wizards took over lunchtime with their basketball tricks and humor at the Bridgewater-Raritan High School, and several other schools in the district, Wednesday to encourage students to come support them in a fundraiser for Project Graduation.

The Harlem Wizards will be playing the Hometown Heroes in a fundraising basketball game April 26 to raise money for the worthy cause.

The Hometown Heroes will include Bridgewater Mayor Dan Hayes as coach, plus district teachers, township council members and police officers.

But first, Eric "Broadway" Jones and Kenny "Blenda" Rodriguez, of the Harlem Wizards, showed off their skills Wednesday morning, flipping, spinning and rolling a basketball to the amusement of all students.

"They were doing a four-minute snippet of their routine during lunches," said Dee Yosafat, one of the parent volunteers working on Project Graduation. "It is basketball tricks and comedy."

The goal, Yosafat said, was to get people excited for the upcoming game, although the Harlem Wizards haven't actually lost a game in these fundraising opportunities since the 1980s.

"It will be our guys against the Wizards," she said. "But we are getting everyone revved up for the game."

All money raised from the game will be used toward funding Project Graduation, which is held after graduation every year, and is a event all students can attend for anti-drug and anti-drinking entertainment overnight.

The game, to be held April 26, will be $10 for students and $12 for adults for tickets purchased in advance. Tickets purchased at the door are $12 for students and $15 for adults.