NORTH PROVIDENCE – The town’s annual charity basketball game between local police officers and teachers raised $19,700, according to organizer and sponsor Justin Conrad.
Conrad, of NorthPointe Bank, said that was $1,700 more than last year’s event, which raised $18,000. The money goes to scholarships for local students, and this year also went to the Dorgan family after the awful events of the Lynch Arena shooting, said Conrad.
In the end, the teachers pulled off the win 65-64 at the buzzer after a great back-and-forth affair on March 26, according to Conrad.
Each year, the charity event pits officers of the North Providence Police Department against teachers from the School Department. The teachers also won last year’s game.
Conrad said visits from Ian Brownhill and Dawn The Duck were a big hit, and they also had an “incredible” raffle and half-court shot that was just missed by Vinny Pontrelli.
There were more than 600 people in attendance this year, 12 times the 50 or so who attended the first year, when $3,600 was raised, said Conrad. The average raised over the past three years has been about $18,000.
Conrad thanked everyone for coming back out to support the cause.
