On April 30, families in the community gathered in the new gymnasium to experience the one-of-a-kind show the world-famous Harlem Wizards put on.

The Harlem Wizards, a group of basketball players who compete against school staff and travel cross country to perform at high schools for fundraising events, came to Stockbridge not only shoot hoops and alley-oops, but to also raise money for new weight room equipment.

“We hope we can have another Harlem Wizards event in the future, possibly every other year,” athletic director Megan Kunzelman said.

“We raised about $4,000,” Kunzelman said. “We sold about 620 tickets.”

If the Wizards are able to come semi-annually, more of the raised money will be put toward the athletics programs according to Kunzelman.

“I think it was a successful event,” Kunzelman said. “With the help from the many volunteers we ran into barely any issues.”

Children of all ages basked in the quirks and talents of the players as they incorporated interaction with the crowd into the game. From running into the stands to even taking people’s phones and taking pictures of themselves, the Harlem Wizards made sure the crowd was engaged.

“The game was so beyond fun; I have never laughed harder in my life,” sophomore attendee Cassandra Chapman said. “They were so into it, and they made every face in that gym smile. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.”

Junior high principal Joseph Wenzel took part in playing against the Wizards along with other staff members Jason Rickli, Darren Hejnal, Susan Lockhart and Jeffery Trapp.

“It was fun. Those guys were amazing athletes,” Wenzel said. “It was really fun to get a close up view of them dunking all over us. Kids seemed to enjoy it. Aside from the money, it was a really well-run family event that everyone in the community could participate in and enjoy.”