Basketball with a heart

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Chuck Walker
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Dover Air Base Middle School held its 10th annual Hoops for Heart fundraiser Feb. 17, Dover Air Force Base, Del. The event culminated in a faculty vs. students vs. Airmen double-header basketball game.

The event raised $2,516 for the American Heart Association and allowed all of the students to get involved. DABM principal David Santore said he was pleased with how the event turned out.

"Our kids are fantastic," Santore said. "The students, the faculty, and the link with the Airmen and the base community, it is just so good that we all work together for a charitable cause. And it is also a fun event after a hard week that all of the students deserve."

Nell Cox, a DABM Language Arts teacher, said she was shocked at how much money the event raised this year.

"It's really extraordinary when you consider we have less than 200 students total in the school," Cox said. "We have a lot of students participating in the fundraising, raising what they can. "

Even though the event is centered around basketball , DABM has expanded the event to encompass the whole week with two bake sales, a fundraising contest among the language arts classes and the staff and faculty purchase t-shirts they wear to the game.

"Over 75 percent of our students actively participate," Cox said. "A lot of the students just try to raise what they can. Over the years we've raised over $10,000 total."

DABM's participation in the event can be traced to physical education and health teacher-basketball coach Dave Baszkowski.

When Baszkowski was junior quarterback at Wesley College he passed out on the field during a game due to a ventrical fibrillation. After three heart surgeries and spending two-and-half weeks at Christiana Hospital, his coach informed him his playing career was over.

"We've really tried to make the event our own over the years," Baszkowski said. "Three years ago we started having the American Heart Association come and do a presentation. This year they asked me to talk about what happened to me. It's really a team effort. The whole school helps me."

Cox said Baszkowski's story really hit home with the students and motivated them to raise more money this year than they have ever raised in one year.

"The kids do it for Coach Baz," Cox said. "He is by far the most popular teacher in our school. I know it was not easy for him to share his story. When you look at him he is a picture of health. It was very inspiring to me and I know it was inspiring to our students."