Fundraiser a Great Success for Sleepy Hollow Basketball Teams

During the winter sports season, the Sleepy Hollow High School community came out in droves to support its boys and girls basketball teams, which each enjoyed their best seasons in recent memory.

Then, when it came to helping the teams raise money for its dinner, the community came through one more time at Sleepy Hollow High School.

On March 5, a team of Sleepy Hollow staff members, community members and former players played against the Harlem MagicMasters to raise money for a dinner that will honor both basketball teams and the cheerleaders at the school.

Playing for the Sleepy Hollow Shooters were Kyle McGovern, Joe Goods, Rob Spinelli, Karen Doyle, Dina Moricco, Jamel Lyde, Rick Perugini, Craig Laub, Desmond Turner, Dan Larkin, Eric Rinaldi, James Yancy, Winnie Brand, Trend Bronner, Lavon Jones and Sleepy Hollow boys basketball coach Tony Baxter.

"It's fantastic," Baxter said. "It's a testament to the community of Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow to get the whole community here on a Friday night. To play a team like this who always brings great entertainment to the game is great."

Helping provide that entertainment was DJ Crazy Rob, who started with the MagicMasters a year ago. He's a professional DJ who also DJ's in Harlem. He's so passionate about what he does he said he was going to the city to work at a club right after the game.

"It's all about entertaining families," Crazy Rob said. "I have two kids of my own and they enjoy stuff like this. I like to entertain people and make them laugh when I'm on the mike. We're just having fun out here."

Sleepy Hollow Athletic Director Chuck Scarpula said he was happy that his school was going to raise money for the boys and girls basketball programs for their dinner but he said the night was more than about that.

"It's not just about raising money for the dinner," Scarpula said. "It's a community situation where we can get the whole community involved in a fun activity. This is where we can get players from the past, community people, staff members out so it's really worked out really well."

Scarpula said this is the first year in his four-year regime at Sleepy Hollow that the MagicMasters have come to his school to help his teams raise money. He said an event like this is possible because the community that supports athletics at Sleepy Hollow is special one.

The Sleepy Hollow AD is just disappointed that the winter is coming to an end after the season his teams had.

"We had a great winter. I enjoyed it," Scarpula said. "The kids were really competitive and everything worked out in almost every sport. So again I hate to see it end but it's an opportunity to make some money and get the community involved."

The MagicMasters wound up winning the game 105-86. More importantly, it was the community at Sleepy Hollow who were the real winners on this night.

The dinner to honor the teams and cheerleaders will be March 12. More details will be made available next week and those interested can call Scarpula at 914-631-3664.