WS Chronicle

By Busta Brown

This past Saturday morning, March 10, there was a fundraiser at Green Tree Church and Community Center in Winston-Salem, providing some delicious all you can eat pancakes.

It was a fundraiser for Hoops4 L.Y.F.E, a nonprofit that provides mentoring, tutoring and basketball training for youth and youth adults. They have after-school and lots of basketball programs as well.

The people came out to show founder and Executive Director Brittany Ward some love and support.

“Brittany has gone beyond the call of duty for my family. She helped my family with summer camps and after school programs. She’s a very motivated young lady, I admire her and will support her any way that I can,” said Teneal Mcmahan.

Valarie Glass came to give Ward support as well. “I love what she’s doing with the kids with creating new support for them. I’m here to encourage her to continue because our kids need this, and Joel Ward brought his son Jacoby for support. We know our youth need support, and if she and others like her don’t do it, not other people will.”

Brittany Ward was on the Parkland High School Girls 3A State Championship Team. She said basketball changed her life as a child. “Basketball is what I’m passionate about, and I see it along with life skills as giving the kids a way out and to better my community,” said Ward.

The fundraiser supports all of the Hoops4L.Y.F.E programs. “We just wrapped up three teams at the Winston Lake YMCA, and now we’re getting ready for AAU (Amateur Athletic Union).”

Community organizer Santiago Ramos shared why he supports Hoops4L.Y.F.E. “I’ve seen a lot of the work that she’s been doing. I remember one day she received a phone call from school, one of her youth got in a bit of trouble. She dropped what she was doing and went out there to pick him up. It’s important what she’s doing.”

Ward credits her love for youth because of the mentors she met playing at the local parks and recreation centers as a child. “I realize how important it is to have a mentor in a child’s life. It really makes a difference in the decisions we make as youth and adults as well.”

Go to The Chrononicle’s YouTube channel @ Winstonsalem Chronicle to see video from this past Saturday’s event. It was like a piece of heaven on earth.  For more info and how you can support Hoops4L.Y.F.E, check out the group’s Facebook page.