[MC Born & Raised]

I hope you guys don't mind me self-promoting a bit, but The News-Dispatch is putting on a charity high school all-star basketball game at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 19 at the Wolves Den. Every penny of profit from the event will benefit The United Way of La Porte County.

We're going to have 18 kids from the coverage area compete in an all-star game, with Michigan City legends Delray Brooks and Dan Palombizio serving as coaches. We're going to have a 3-point Shooout, Slam Dunk Contest and the Michigan City Soul Steppers are going to perform at halftime. If you haven't seen the Soul Steppers perform, you're missing out. They're just tremendous.

Also, one of the night's big events will be one fan getting to cash in a raffle ticket for a chance to take a half-court shot to win $10,000. There will be other raffles as well.

Tickets are only $5 and children five and under get in for free. If you want tickets, you can send me a message on this site or call 1-800-489-9292, Ext. 403.

It's going to be a great night for a great charity. Come, have a good time and bring a friend (or 12).

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=39662.61

Charity Basketball All-Star Game: Special Guest Abound

From Staff Reports

Hoops Away for The United Way: The News-Dispatch 2008 Charity All-Star Basketball Game will not only feature the area's best boys basketball players, but plenty of special guests, too.

Dan Palombizio, a Rogers graduate and the 1981 selection as Indiana Mr. Basketball, will coach Team United Way and help judge the Slam Dunk Contest. Palombizio recently was boys basketball coach at New Buffalo High School.

Delray Brooks, a Rogers graduate and a 1984 selection as Indiana Mr. Basketball, will coach Team News-Dispatch and help judge the Slam Dunk Contest. Brooks is currently the boys basketball coach and athletic director at La Lumiere School.

Also, Winston Garland, who had a nine-year NBA career after graduating from Gary Roosevelt High School, will serve as an assistant coach and help judge the Slam Dunk Contest. Garland currently works at Indiana State Prison as the recreation director.

Dion Campbell, who starred at Marquette High School before playing at Indiana State, will also help judge the dunk contest. Campbell still resides in Michigan City and serves the community as a member of the Michigan City Police Department.

Other dunk contest judges will include Michigan City High School athletic director Bob "Bear" Falls.

Also, Terry Sherrill, known locally as the "King of Sting," is scheduled to serve as a special emcee for the 3-Point Shootout, Slam Dunk Contest and $10,000 half-court shot. Sherrill is the reigning National Softball Association Umpire of the Year.

More surprises are planned, and tickets for the event are still available for only $5 by stopping by The News-Dispatch, 121 W. Michigan Blvd., or calling 1-800-489-9292, Ext. 403. All proceeds benefit The United Way of La Porte County.

Jaymar Factory Outlet Store, 1100 Kieffer Road, Michigan City, is also selling tickets for $5. Anyone who buys a ticket from the store will get $5 off their purchase for the day.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=41233.64

N-D Hoops Away Huge Success

Michael Gluskin
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - On a night that showcased the area's best basketball talent, Hoops Away for the United Way: The 2008 News-Dispatch Charity Basketball All-Star Game raised more than $3,500 for the local agency.

More than 1,500 spectators attended the event at Michigan City High School, where they saw high-flying acrobatics during the dunk contest, long-range specialists in a 3-point contest, then the all-star game itself.

"This is a great way to bring La Porte County together for a great cause," News-Dispatch Publisher Rick Welch said, "and to showcase the basketball talent in the area."

Michigan City's Jarrod Jones won the dunk contest, narrowly defeating La Lumiere's De'Andre Haskins, while Dusty Young of La Crosse bested La Porte's Matt Dunfee in the 3-point shootout.

Coach Delray Brooks' Team News-Dispatch won the game, 91-75, over coach Dan Palombizio's Team United Way. Haskins won the MVP award for that contest.

"For a first-year event, this was more successful than anyone could have hoped," News-Dispatch Sports Editor Adam Parkhouse said. "I look forward to calling this the annual News-Dispatch Charity All-Star Game."

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Contact sports writer Michael Gluskin at mgluskin@thenewsdispatch.com.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=39686.35

Thank You Michigan City For Supporting A Great Cause
Adam Parkhouse
Sports Editor, The News-Dispatch

A couple of months ago, I sat in a conference room at The News-Dispatch with colleagues Nick Dettmann and Michael Gluskin, selecting our All-Area Boys Basketball team.

For the life of me I can't remember who said it, but at some point one of us said, "Man, it would be cool to see these guys play against each other, wouldn't it?"

Then the idea was born. Michael said something to the effect of, "We should just do that. Like, it shouldn't even be a discussion."

Done. Now The News-Dispatch 2008 Charity All-Star Game, hopefully the first of many, is in the books, and the whole idea was conceived just a couple of months ago, discovered completely by happenstance.

I couldn't be happier with the way things have turned out. Thanks to the hard work of so many, Michael, Nick and my wife Tabitha included, we were able to plan and organize a wonderful event for a terrific cause, The United Way of La Porte County.

Hopefully you're reading this in the afterglow of what was truly a special evening for you and your family at Michigan City High School's Wolves Den.

If not, then hopefully you're thinking, "Well, I'll be there next year."

There are so many people to thank for their involvement in this event. All of our volunteers, both employees at the N-D and friends and family of myself and others at the paper.

Our Publisher, Rick Welch, supported this event from the very first moment and always made sure we had whatever we needed to get it going.

Thanks to N-D copy editor Kristin Miller for some ridiculous self-sacrifice (in the form of sleep) in the days leading up to the event.

City's softball program handled concessions for us, and we thank coach Candy Feare for taking care of that portion, which would have been just another item on a long list of things we needed to get done.

I want to thank the Michigan City Area Schools Board for granting us a fee waiver, which only would have served to take money away from The United Way if we had to pay for usage of the Wolves Den. Because of their support, everybody benefits.

The Michigan City Soul Steppers, as always, put on a tremendous show for us at halftime. Thanks to Lyn Isbell and her incredibly talented troop of performers.

Thanks to our advertisers whose support helped us step up the magnitude of the event: Evergreen Furniture, Robert Tylisz Appliance, Green Acres, Sauers, Michiana Insurance, Jaymar Factory Outlet, WIMS Radio and Shirt and Cap Inc. out of Valparaiso, Ind.

Thanks to Stan Holdcraft for helping us out with the public address, Chuck White for assisting with the scoreboard, Jerry Piotrowski for volunteering his time and to Terry "The King of Sting" Sherrill for being the perfect emcee.

Most of all, thanks to the players and coaches. Without this special group of talented individuals, we would have had no event to put on.

Hopefully everybody had a good time, and if you couldn't make it, think about supporting The United Way anyway.

That's what this was all about, ultimately: A lot of great people coming together to support a great cause.

Thanks, everybody.

Contact Sports Editor Adam Parkhouse at aparkhouse@thenewsdispatch.com or 874-7211, Ext. 461.