HarlemLIVE

Friday December 9, 2000, YES inc. (Youth Education through Sports), which is a foundation founded in 1980, was established to meet the academic and athletic needs of student athletes. They held two fundraiser basketball games at Wadleigh High School.

The two teams in the first game were Magic vs. Isaac Hayes Crusaders in which Magic was the victor. The teams of the second game were the Bad Boys vs. Source Sports, in which the Bad Boys won. We interviewed individual players from the teams to find out why they were playing and what they hoped to achieve by playing.

Darrell Flowers, 31, is a supervisor of a hospital, and lives in Brooklyn. His purpose for playing was to benefit the fundraisers and give back to the community. Darrell has been playing basketball since he was eight. His goal in life is to be the best person that he can be. Once he becomes successful he wants to give back to the children and to the homeless.

"Terminator", 35, is a teacher's aid, and lives in the Bronx. He felt his purpose there was to entertain and raise profits. He also has been playing ball since he was eight. His goal in life is to just take care of his family and educate children and give them extracurricular activities. When he becomes successful he wants to give back by trying to teach children lessons that will help them in education and in life.

Kiel Zepernick, 23, works with his church teaching bible study to younger children. He played at the fundraiser basically because his coach Chaz Dudley asked him to come. Kiel has been playing basketball for about five or six years. His goal in life is to make his parents proud, honor God, and to be the best person he could possibly be.

Don Chung, 31, has been playing basketball for 15 years. His purpose for being at the fundraiser was because he was invited and he also wanted to help his community. His goal in life it to be a contractor and run his own business. Once reaching his goal, he plans to give back to the community by getting children off of the street.

Lastly the legendary Isaac Hayes, 58, was there to support his team. Mr. Hayes, who feels that the fundraiser will be very successful, said, " The most important thing is to get people to realize the value of combined effort especially so that the kids will benefit." Since Mr. Hayes is no stranger to charity, it is no surprise that the scholarships given to the kids through athletics are given through his new Isaac Hayes Foundation.