Basketball tournament to raise funds for Invisible Children - Dec. 29 & 30

Posted on Dec 16, 2008

The annual Lauralton Hall Christmas Classic Basketball Tournament will have a new twist this year--it will also serve as a fundraiser. When team members decided to raise funds for a charity in conjunction with the tournament, senior tri-captains Hailey Murray, Miranda Raine and Molly Yardley did some research and determined that the Invisible Children organization would be the recipient.

Motivated by the unseen war in Northern Uganda, Invisible Children was created in 2003 by three young filmmakers with a singular mission--to use the power of stories to change lives around the world.  Invisible Children improves the quality of life for war-affected children by providing access to quality education, enhanced learning environments and innovative economic opportunities for the community.

According to Miranda, “To raise funds, we’re planning a raffle, a sale of Lauralton Tournament/Invisible Children T-shirts and a halftime collection. Raffle prizes will include gift baskets created and donated by team members.”

Molly added, “Donations from the raffle, halftime collection, and T-shirt sales will go directly to the relief organizations in Uganda, which through Invisible Children’s Schools for Schools campaign, will establish new schools to educate a lost generation, a generation that has already faced more crises, trauma, and heartbreak than many of us can imagine."

In addition to the Lauralton Crusaders, teams slated to participate in the Christmas Classic Tournament at Lauralton at 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. on December 29 and 30 include Kolbe/Cathedral of Bridgeport, Trinity Catholic of Stamford and Wilbur Cross of New Haven.

The Crusaders are planning a brief presentation on Invisible Children and their fundraising efforts before both games on Monday, December 29.

The tournament is open to the public and tickets can be purchased at the door. All donations to benefit Invisible Children will be gratefully accepted.