On April 22, Niles North’s Dance Marathon and Mental Health Club came together to host Fight of the Feeder. This involved alumni upperclassmen from middle schools East Prairie, Golf, McCracken, Old Orchard, and anyone who transferred to compete in a 5v5 style basketball tournament for a trophy, and a title as the first ever Fight of the Feeder champion.
The layout was simple. Each team consisted of a maximum of 15 co-ed players and needed three student coaches (all from their middle school). Teams would rotate and play four full court games each. Seeding for all teams would be based on the most recent Little Nine Boys Basketball Tournament.
Walking in through the Athletic Entrance, the vibes were already here. Before you even purchased a ticket to spectate the game, the smell of pizza and snacks filled your nose, as they also opened the concession stands for those who needed a snack to go with this tournament.
Walking into the Main Gym was no different. Students were cheering and jumping with every bucket scored. Teams who were awaiting their turn to play were rooting for their friends, as well as prepping their plays. Isaiah Garcia, a senior who was coaching team Old Orchard, said “I’m very confident in my team. We had a little rough patch in the beginning. But I’m looking forward to the next games and just having fun in general.”
“This is our first year hosting Fight of the Feeder,” Marissa Moss, a sponsor for the event, said. “Dance Marathon and Mental Health Club’s partnership has been so successful in bringing out so many kids who want to support their middle school and were super proud of our students”
In the end, McCracken won the final against the transfer team, and in third place was Golf Middle School.
In total, Niles North was able to raise $1,200 during this event. And all proceeds will go to Dance Marathons beneficiary, which is the Niles Township Food Pantry.
