by Tyler Roaix
The fourth annual Hoops for Homeless event took place April 30 in New Britain. The event is an all-ages annual 3-on-3 basketball tournament staged on Main Street in downtown New Britain next to Central Park. All proceeds from this event will be given to local projects that will directly address homelessness in New Britain. The Boys and Girls Club of New Britain, the Friendship Service Center of New Britain and the Prudence Crandall Center headline the beneficiaries.
Jacob Werblow is a professor of Teacher Education at Central Connecticut and also one of the co-founders of the tournament.
“This is a fundraiser as well as advocacy for children and family who are homeless in New Britain,” said Werblow. “So all the money that’s raised, all the proceeds raised from this event are given directly to organizations that work to support children and families in our community.”
According to Werblow, there are over 200 children in the New Britain public school system who are classified as homeless. This doesn’t necessarily mean they live on the streets. They could be residing in temporary housing, living with a neighbor or family member or even living with other families in a one bedroom complex.
Camden Musgrave, a player on the CCSU women’s team, was also a referee for the event. She shared what it’s like to be a part of the experience.
“We’re here to support our community and help our kids grow to be great athletes, one day hopefully they support Central. We like to encourage sportsmanship both on and off the court from both parents and players,” said Musgrave.
“Referees as well as many CCSU students are behind the scenes who help setup, help distribute materials, helping with the event,” said Werblow. “So we are very blessed to have everyone here.”
Registration for the benefit was $50 per team this year. More information can be found at ccsu.edu/hoopsforhomeless or at the group’s Facebook page.
Contributed reporting by Chante Davis.