Tournament raises over $700
More than $700 has been raised in a basketball tournament for a boy who is in Starship Hospital after complications from a ruptured appendix.
The Palmerston North Basketball Association held a 3x3 tournament on Sunday at Central Energy Trust Arena to raise money for Jahzyar Joseph.
Jahzyar is part of the basketball community, playing for their U15 team, and organiser Helen Richardson said they wanted to do something to support his family.
‘‘We have done what we can to raise some money for them.’’
She said a committee member earlier in the week had decided to organise some food for the family and Richardson said the ideas had carried on from there.
On Friday night, only four teams had registered, so they were blown away with the turnout of more than 132 players on Sunday.
‘‘We had 33 teams ranging from primary school through to adults.’’
It was $20 for each team to enter and Richardson said some people who could not attend the tournament had sent in donations for the family.
Jahzyar’s mum did not yet know the amount they had raised but Richardson said she was aware they had held the fundraiser.
‘‘She’s been checking out the photos... on the Facebook page.’’
Jahzyar was currently in a stable condition at Starship Hospital and Richardson said they were hoping he would be back in Palmerston North within the next few weeks.
As Jahzyar’s mum was in Auckland with him Richardson said it had been hard on his family.
Participants enjoyed the tournament, Richardson said.
She said Queen Elizabeth College, where Jahzyar went to school, had provided a lot of support for the fundraiser and Central Energy Trust Arena had donated the use of the arena.