The Chatham Wildcats will be playing an exhibition game against the Prodigal Sonz basketball team from Hamilton at the Wish Centre in Chatham on Saturday, July 22, 2023.
Tip off is set for 4 p.m.
The Prodigal Sonz program is a part of Liberty For Youth (LFY).
Founded in 2003, LFY is a youth ministry that provides a prevention and intervention mentoring program aimed at youth, ages 12 to 25 living in the Hamilton and surrounding areas who are involved in, or at-risk of, criminal behaviour.
The team is comprised of at-risk youth, post-incarcerated youth, and their mentors.
They play 24 games throughout the province each year and the program is designed to help at-risk youth direct their energy to a positive team sport.
Every June, the team plays in an annual Liberty and Justice Unity Basketball Event, against some of the police officers that had formerly arrested them, symbolizing reconciliation and unity.
“Youth who used to run from the police, now run in unity with them,” team officials say.
The team will also be touring the Josiah Henson Museum of African-Canadian History in Dresden and will be having a barbecue at Wildcats Coach Jeff Byrne’s home in Wallaceburg.
More details about LFY can be found at https://www.libertyforyouth.org/.
More details about the Chatham Wildcats can be found at https://www.facebook.com/ckwildcats.
