The Harlem Globetrotters present a donation of 25,000 Krones to PeacePlayers-Cyprus!
It never hurts to dream big, right? That’s what the community of Nesodden were thinking when they contacted the world famous Harlem Globetrotters, requesting a visit to their quiet community in Norway. In Nesodden, the game of basketball was already breaking down barriers as PeacePlayers-Cyprus’ basketball team of Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot boys were playing for the Hasna Cup, the first time ever that children from the divided island had the chance to compete together in an international competition.
It was our kids’ dream to play with the Globetrotters
But when a response came from the Globetrotters, the coaches’ and the community’s dream became reality. The Globetrotters agreed to fly five of their players all the way to Nesodden for a community wide show (little did we know that the entire show was to going to be dedicated to the youth of PeacePlayers).
Friday evening came and people from all over the village showed up for the event. Goril, our teams’ amazing local host, said, “I think the experience was incredibly special.” If seeing and playing alongside the Harlem Globetrotters wasn’t surreal enough for our PeacePlayers’ team, the real surprise came at the end of the evening. As the Globetrotters’ show came to an end, they called our boys to the court, this time to present a check for 25,000 Krones (about 3,300 euro)! The surprise donation was raised through tickets sales and a bake sale that was hosted during the game.
What an unbelievable and unexpected gift from our new friends in Nesodden. They will forever be a part of PeacePlayers-Cyprus and we look forward to the day that we can welcome them to our home here on the island of Cyprus.
Orhan, from PeacePlayers-Cyprus, tests his defense against Fatima “TNT” Maddox
