BY DANI TIETZ
dani@mahometnews.com
It’s showtime.
The Mahomet-Seymour Music Boosters are bringing the Harlem Wizards to town for a show unlike anything Mahomet has ever seen before.
Game time, scheduled for Sept. 29, at 3 p.m., is a fundraiser to support the Mahomet-Seymour Marching Band as they march into the Fiesta Bowl Parade on Dec. 28.
In its fifth trip to the Fiesta Bowl, the Mahomet-Seymour marching band will perform live in front of over 100,000 people in Phoenix, while also taking some time in the Arizona area to visit the Musical Instrument Museum, go off-roading in Sedona, and go horseback riding on a Native American reservation, among other things.
Event organizer Jill Tompkins said that there are students in the 200-member band who cannot afford the approximately $1,700 price tag that goes along with the trip.
“Within the community, there are families that need assistance,” Tompkins said.
Tompkins also said there are some students who are also trying to figure out how to be part of opportunities, like an upcoming trip to France with the French program, and still be able to go to Arizona with the band.
“So we are trying to fill that need the best we can,” Tompkins said. “It is a quick turnaround between the event and the final payment for the trip. But hopefully,we’ll be able to, you know, give each of them a little bit to help them out.”
Students have other opportunities, such as the marching band garage sale and purchasing Script cards, throughout the year.
But for the Music Boosters, this is a way to give back and bring the community together for a fun-filled afternoon during homecoming weekend.
In January of 2019, the Music Boosters knew they needed to provide some sort of fundraiser for the program. A board member brought up the possibility of having the Harlem Wizards, a group that performs at fundraisers, come to Mahomet-Seymour.
A group of the Fiesta Bowl Steering Committee went to Lawrenceburg, Ill. to preview the event.
“I sat down, felt the energy in the room saw the interaction between the fans and the players from the Wizards,” Tompkins said. “And before the game even started, the five of us all went, ‘we need to do this.’
“It was electric.
The group immediately contacted the rest of the group, telling them this was the right fundraiser to bring to Mahomet-Seymour.
Doors will open for the event at 2 p.m. on the 29th for a pre-game show. Then the Wizards are scheduled to play against “The Band of Bulldogs,” a team comprised of Mahomet-Seymour teachers, administrators and staff.
Tompkins said members of the Band of Bulldogs will be announced on the Booster’s event Facebook page.
“At a Wizards game, fans will witness amazing basketball talent combined with hilarious comedy,” the group’s press release said. “Throughout the game, fans will experience a magical display of tricks, coordinated ball handling, fancy passing and aerodynamic athleticism combined with high-energy comedy and audience interaction. As a spectator, you’re part of a show!”
Tompkins said the pre-game show is a must-see, too.
“The meet-and-greet will happen beforehand. The “Whiz Kids” can warm up with the Wizards. They get to participate in some pregame antics, as I call them,” she said.
In Lawrenceburg, Tompkins recalls the Wizards spotting a man with a white beard.
“He recognized Santa Claus and really played that up,” she said.
Advance tickets that can be purchased online are $15 for students and seniors, and $17 for adults.
There are additional seating options, including $25 reserved seating close to the action and Courtside Plus, which includes floor seating, a meet & greet prior to the game, an on-court photo, and joining the Wizards as they are introduced prior to the game.
Wizards jerseys are also available both online and at the game.
Tompkins said with the support of the Harlem Wizards’ organization and corporate sponsors who are sponsoring the event and the game, which is a month away, is gaining momentum.
“We’ve gotten some folks that are super excited,” Tompkins said.“They have thanked us for inviting them to sponsor this really cool event.”
