Basking Ridge Athletes Help Raise $111K For Inner-City Children

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Ridge High School’s boys basketball team recently participated in the Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children(SFIC) Founders’ Annual Hoopfest on Jan. 11 at Roselle Catholic High School.

This year’s event collected $111,450 to support partial tuition assistance scholarships for underprivileged students attending Archdiocese of Newark schools.

More than 530 spectators enjoyed three fast-paced games featuring some of New Jersey’s most talented high school basketball players.

Four of the five participating teams represented the Archdiocese: Roselle Catholic, Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child, Seton Hall Prep, and Oratory Prep. Many of the players who competed this year were SFIC scholarship recipients.

In addition to the basketball games, SFIC recognized the academic achievements of several student-athletes. Players with the highest grades on each of the six teams — including Ridge High School, a non-archdiocesan school — were awarded special plaques in recognition of their outstanding classroom performance. The recipients are listed below:

Game 1 — Girls Teams
Roselle Catholic High School: Gabriella Brown
Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child: Betsy Burton

Game 2 — Boys Teams
Roselle Catholic High School: Chibueze Onwuzuligbo
Seton Hall Prep: Dylan Guzzardo

Game 3 — Boys Teams
Oratory Prep: Julian Stauffer
Ridge High School: Quinn Dshefsky

"We love hosting the Hoopfest every year because it gives us the chance to put the spotlight on our talented students,” said Dr. Michelle L. Hartman, SFIC’s chief executive officer. “It also helps people realize that many of these athletes might not have had the opportunity to play for their schools without the tuition assistance SFIC provides. Our scholarships open up a world of possibilities, and the more support we receive, the more young people we can help achieve their dreams."

Launched in 2004, the Founders’ Annual Hoopfest has become a beloved tradition for SFIC, with many future NBA stars like Kyle Anderson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist participating through the years. All proceeds from the event’s ticket sales support SFIC’s partial-tuition scholarships, which benefit children from families at or below the poverty level regardless of ethnicity, gender, race, or religion. To learn more about SFIC and its scholarship programs, visit www.sficnj.org.