Exciting hoopfest raises $100K for SFIC, showcases top student athletes

The Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children (SFIC) raised approximately $100,000 to fund partial tuition assistance scholarships for underprivileged students attending Archdiocese of Newark schools at its 18th Annual High School Hoopfest in the Roselle Catholic High School gym on Jan. 8.

Roughly 300 spectators witnessed three exciting games featuring some of New Jersey’s most talented basketball players, with five of the six participating teams representing four archdiocesan schools: Roselle Catholic, Hudson Catholic Regional High School, Seton Hall Preparatory School, and Union Catholic Regional High School. Several players on these teams were SFIC scholarship recipients themselves.

In addition to the basketball games, SFIC recognized the academic achievements of a few student athletes. The players with the highest grades on all six teams — including the team from the non-archdiocesan Columbia High School — were awarded with a special plaque in acknowledgement of their classroom accomplishments.

“Everyone had a great time,” said Teresa Gilhooly, SFIC’s special events manager. “The kids had a lot of fun. It was a great way of celebrating the student athletes and showcasing the schools within the Archdiocese. And the money raised is going to make a difference in many children’s lives.”

Launched in 2004, High School Hoopfest has become a beloved tradition for SFIC, with many future NBA stars like Kyle Anderson and Karl-Anthony Towns participating through the years. All proceeds from the event’s ticket sales support SFIC’s scholarships, which benefit children at or below the poverty level without regard to ethnicity, gender, race, or religion so they can attend private or parochial schools within the Archdiocese of Newark. To learn more about SFIC and its scholarships, visit the SFIC website.