Bloomingdale Students to Take On Teachers in Benefit Basketball Game

Beef ‘O’ Brady’s is giving students at Bloomingdale High School the chance to teach their teachers a lesson in a friendly game of basketball.

The restaurant will help raise funds for Lyrics for Life with the 2011 Bloomingdale High School Student vs. Faculty Basketball Showdown on Friday, May 6 at 7  p.m.

"This is an event we sponsored last year and it was fantastic," said Valrico-Bloomingdale Beef O'Brady's owner Cormac McCarthy. "I hope to sponsor it every year. Beef's is all about family and sports, and this event combines both. My hats off to Bloomingdale High School and support they give."

Tickets to the student vs. faculty basketball showdown are $5 and 100 percent of the proceeds will go toward Lyrics for Life, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to make a difference in the fight against pediatric cancer. The event is open to the public.
 
"At halftime we do contests and ask for donations," said McCarthy. "For $1 you can do a 3-point shot and for $3 you can do a free throw. We'll be giving away free wings for a year. We'll also have drawings for a Tony Dungy autographed football and Sister Hazel signed CDs.

“The student vs. faculty basketball showdown is a fun event that benefits an amazing cause,” said McCarthy. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to lend our support in the fight against pediatric cancer through Lyrics for Life and we are excited to see who will be triumphant this year. I’m personally rooting for the students.”
 
The students were victorious in 2010 after defeating their teachers in double-overtime, said McCarthy. The showdown also raised more than $1,300 for Lyrics for Life in 2010. 
  
Lyrics For Life is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded by Sister Hazel front man Ken Block in memory of his younger brother, Jeffrey, who ultimately lost his four-year battle with cancer.
 
The charity unites musicians and celebrities for concert events, auctions and other fundraising efforts. The monies raised are donated to groups that are working to find a cure as well as those aiming to enrich the lives of patients and their families through summer camps and family support groups.

"Beef's supports two main charities throughout the year," said McCarthy, "the Mike Alstott Foundation and Lyrics for Life. I had an opportunity to meet an opportunity to meet Ken Block .  He's very outgoing and passionate about his platform to help kids with cancer."