Large crowd enjoys benefit game’s fun atmosphere
Morgan Hill – Hundreds of people packed into the gym at the Crossroads Christian School in Morgan Hill on Friday night to watch the Morgan Hill Police Department take on ex-professional athletes in the fifth annual benefit basketball game.
Ex-San Francisco 49ers, such as quarterback John Paye and defensive backs Tim Collier and Dana McLemore were on the court along with ex-Warriors forward Gary Plummer to take on the Morgan Hill Blue Knights. The former pros routed the Blue Knights 60-22.
Former Santa Clara University guard Dele Sobomehin led the scoring with 24 points, including a forceful slam dunk to end the game.
“The experience has really been nice,” Plummer said. “I’m having a good time here. I don’t know how many of these guys play basketball, but they are really a friendly group of guys.”
The event, in its fifth year, was put together by Charles Gallagher and Gary Soucy, owners of Community Service Projects of the Central Coast, who run charity events for law enforcement agencies in four different counties.
According to Gallagher, this year’s event was their most successful.
“We made the most money and everything went the best,” Gallagher said. “Much thanks to the community for being great supporters.”
The evening kicked off with a special performance from the Morgan Hill gymnastics team. At half-time, the former pros signed autographs for fans and dozens of autographed merchandise was raffled off. The main prize was a heavy-duty power cleaner.
The highlight of the night was when the former pros brought kids down from the stands to shoot free throws. Every time a player was fouled, a lucky young fan was chosen to shoot from the free-throw line.
“It has been fun,” said Paye. “The best part is watching these kids have a good time. They’re our future.”
Paye, who won a Super Bowl with the 49ers, said he was glad to participate in the event.
“We always feel good doing these things,” said Paye. “It’s a family event, so we like to come out here and have a good time.”
Mary Beth Carter of Morgan Hill was attending the charity event for the first time.
“It’s really cute to see these professional athletes play around with the kids,” Carter said. “It’s been a fun night. I had a good time and will definitely be back next year.”
