Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children board member Michael Rolek, center, presented academic achievement awards to Seton Hall Prep’s Liam Toohey, left, and Hudson Catholic’s Omari Moore during the SFIC’s 19th Annual High School Hoopfest at Roselle Catholic High School on Jan. 7.
ROSELLE/WEST ORANGE, NJ — The Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children’s (SFIC) 19th Annual High School Hoopfest raised over $100,000 to fund partial tuition assistance scholarships for underprivileged students attending Archdiocese of Newark schools.
This year’s Hoopfest was held in the Roselle Catholic High School gym on Jan. 7, with more than 750 spectators cheering on teams from seven schools: Roselle Catholic, Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child, St. Peter’s Prep, Union Catholic High School, Hudson Catholic High School, Seton Hall Prep, and Immaculate Conception High School of Montclair.
“The basketball event highlights some of the top high school players in our region and helps fund scholarships for deserving students,” SFIC board member Kevin Cummings said.
Following the basketball games, SFIC recognized the academic achievements of student-athletes. Eight players were presented with the Highest Academic Achievement Award acknowledging their accomplishments both on and off the court. SFIC board members Kevin Cummings, Michael Rolek, Kathleen Finnegan, and Caridad Rigo presented the student-athletes with special plaques.
The students included:
Game 1 Award (Girls)
- Bridget Sheehan, Oak Knoll.
- Alexis Artiga, Roselle Catholic.
Game 2 Award (Boys)
- Omari Moore, Hudson Catholic.
- Liam Toohey, Seton Hall Prep.
Game 3 Award (Boys)
- Raheem Williams, Union Catholic.
- Lorenzo Enright, St. Peter’s Prep.
Game 4 Award (Boys)
- Christian Pierre Louis, Roselle Catholic.
- Bryan Mitchell, Immaculate Conception in Montclair.
This year, Investors Bank, a division of Citizens Bancorp., sponsored the event.
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 sficnj.org.
Photo Courtesy of Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children
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