Inaugural ‘Heroes and Hoops’ game in Wilmington teaching hoops and life skiils
Free family event returning every year, WFD hopes
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The Wilmington Fire Department and the Wilmington Recreational Division teamed up for a free family event to helo teach kids skills on and off the court.
The fun is heating up this National Parks & Recreation Month with the Heroes & Hoops event slated for Saturday, July 9th.
The event-packed-day started at 10:00 am and ran through 1:00 pm at Maides Park, located at 1101 Manly Avenue in Wilmington.
The free event includes family activities, skills competitions, and a basketball game between the Wilmington Fire Department and the City of Wilmington Recreation staff.
From 10:00 am until 12:00 pm, family activities included exploring Big Rigs, face painting, practice soccer and golf, and more.
At 11:00 am, the skills challenge began with a youth and adult 3-point competition. One guest appearance came from the UNCW basketball team. James Baker Junior was also a referee for the main event – the game.
The Fire Department took home the win, 46-32.
“We wanted to bring a different sport to the aspect of what we have in Wilmington,” said Nicholas Shepard with WFD, who is pictured below holding the trophy.
He was credited for bringing the idea of this game to the table.
“We have hockey we have golf. I wanted to start some basketball and get everybody joined a little bit more. I grew up playing basketball. I love the game. I love the team work that goes in to it. I think also showing these kids how we are all coming together – whether what group you’re on, what team you’re on – we are having a good time and just playing a game.”
