By Bella Sarbora, Staff Writer
Every year, teams in the Good Guys vs Cancer tournament take on more than just their opponents. They also fight for a good cause.
The Good Guys vs. Cancer tournament has been a First Flight basketball staple since varsity men’s basketball coach Chad Williams started it for his father, Guy Williams, four years ago.
“(My father) developed a very rare form of cancer. The doctors told us he had two months to live,” Williams said. “I wanted to do something to honor him and at the same time put something toward a good cause.”
From humble beginnings, Good Guys has grown to showcase over 20 schools from all over the country in just a few years.
“We’ve grown exponentially,” Williams said. “We went from (having) some really good players from some local teams to now having over 40 D-I players and a team from California. We’ve had to expand to three days. I even have to lease an extra backboard in case one breaks.”
By partnering with online broadcasting networks such as The Hoop State, Williams has been able to find the best teams and matchups for the most entertainment. But just as important as the great basketball fans from all over Northeastern North Carolina are treated to are the proceeds the tournament raises.
In the first three years, Williams estimated that Good Guys has raised about $40,000. With all the extra publicity and growth, this year he is setting his sights even higher.
“This year our goal is $25,000,” Williams said. “One hundred percent of our profits will go to the American Cancer Society. First Flight doesn’t get a single penny from this fundraiser.”
In addition to the ACS, there is a second charity being supported.
“Every dollar made for every ticket sold in our VIP section is being donated to One Shot at a Time, a fundraiser set up for Gwen Botson,” Williams said. “We will make about $8,000 off of our seats and she has to get eight shots.”
Given that each shot is about $1,000, this will hopefully cover the full cost of Botson’s care. The senior was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer last spring and has been in treatment since then.
Senior Isaac Dobie is eager to step up the Nighthawks’ donation game.
“The VIP tickets always sell out really early,” Dobie said. “This year some of the money is going to go to Gwen and I think that just shows how good of a community we have.”
While the growth of the tournament is great for basketball fans and the fundraising component, there’s also the small little detail of making it all happen. With 20 teams playing for a weekend on one court, planning the tournament is a time-consuming project.
“(I started planning) last February,” Williams said. “The guys from The Hoop State are shooting interviews with our sponsors now, the content and web pages will be updated in a few weeks. It all starts early.”
There’s an extra variable to consider this year for the Nighthawks, with the First Flight varsity women’s team joining the fun.
“The girls have been so supportive of us and the tournament and I wanted to give them the opportunity to play in front of the big crowd, too,” Williams said. “We want to get as much community and school involvement as possible.”
Senior Courtney Beasley is relieved the addition happened now rather than later.
“This definitely makes my senior year better,” Beasely said. “I’m kind of nervous because there’s so many people going and we’re kind of opening (the tournament), but I’m really excited.”
To purchase tickets go to https://hoopstatenetwork.wixsite.com/website-1. If you want to donate directly to the American Cancer Society go to https://www.cancer.org/involved/donate.html. Further information about matchups and game times will be released closer to the dates.
Senior Bella Sarbora can be reached at 23sarborais62@daretolearn.org.
