Last Saturday, I chaperoned a group of 25+ students and mentors from Cabrini Connections to a UIC Flames basketball game at the UIC Pavillion. The Flames took on the SIU Salukis, which was an ESPN bracketbuster game, which means these 2 teams were battling for a potential NCAA tournament berth. We were given the opportunity to go for free as part of the UIC Flames Community Assist Program, which provides opportunities for non-profits like ours to take our kids to see an NCAA basketball game for free! They organized buses and gave everyone free shirts as well.
Since I was the only Cabrini Connections staff member who went, I was the de facto coordinator, making sure everyone got there and back in one piece, despite the crowds at the game and the natural inclination for junior and senior high school kids to wander around and mingle with the other students attending the game. Luckily, with the help of Volunteer Coordinators Tami and Alexandria, we were able to keep everything organized enough for everyone to have a great time. I was able to meet some friends of current students and explain to them why it would be beneficial for them to join the program, while at the same time hanging out with our current students/volunteers and getting to know them a little better.
All in all, everyone had a great time. Where I was seated, I was lucky enough to be treated to some great play by play analysis from resident ballers Aarion Woods and Joshua Vera. Though we were pretty high up (some students were actually concerned for their safety!!) we were situated near half court, so we got a pretty good view of the Flames laying a whooping on the SIU Salukis, a frequent NCAA tournament attendee 74-67. Even waiting with the kids after the game for their seemingly nonexistent rides to arrive, getting hit by an errant snowball or two, was a good time. So, thatn
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