For 19 years, a heart-warming celebration by a school community has been held on a basketball court.
One evening every winter, the staff, students, and the community from the Millton Primary School come together not just to play a basketball game, but to appreciate the many positive attributes they all share—kindness, energy, laughter, and teamwork, to name a few.
The Milltown Basketball Buddies Tournament was held for the 19th year on Wednesday, March 18. The gymnasium at the Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School once again served as the venue.
The mission behind this highly popular event is to bring special education students together with their schoolmates who are involved in the 4th Grade Peer Models program at Milltown.
The players comprised the Gold and the Marron teams, proudly wearing the colors of the Milltown Primary School.
The results of their after-school practices over the past two months were on exhibit at the Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School.
The contest was officiated fairly—the game’s referee was Milltown’s energetic and dedicated Principal, Dr. Matt Lembo.
“Basketball Buddies was another special night at Milltown, and I had the privilege of serving as the referee this year,” Dr. Lembo said. “Being on the court and experiencing the children's joy firsthand was truly memorable.”
He continued to share his passion for the game and its surroundings.
“This event reflects so much of what makes Milltown special: inclusion, our monthly themes, adults volunteering for children, music, dancing, singing, and the support of our high school mentors. It was an amazing evening that celebrated community, connection, and our school's spirit.”
Debbie Rothbard, the Learning Disabilities Teacher-Consultant, is the Co-Coordinator of the Milltown Basketball Buddies program.
"The tournament made me feel grateful; it was more than just a game, it was a reminder of what inclusion, kindness and genuine connection look like,’ Ms. Rothbard said. “Moments like this show how powerful acceptance and teamwork can be".
Debbie Shah-Patel, Speech-Language Specialist and the other Co-Coordinator for the program, puts her heart and soul into this game.
She adores the festivities of the evening.
"This integrated basketball tournament always holds a special place in my heart—our gym is filled with energy, laughter, and community spirit as students, families, and staff come together to celebrate every player or many parents, watching their child take the court and be part of a team is a powerful moment that may not be possible without such a supportive and inclusive program,” Ms. Shah-Patel claimed.
Here were the 20 players who played in the game: Riya Arun,Shashank Balaraj, Savannah Williams, Brielle Queen, Emily Moya, Krisha Amin, Anjaneya Rath,Adharva Alkondan, Becky Han, Arnav Patil, Vihaan Tadikonda, Rishaan Malhotra, Akhil Vuddagiri, Zoey Desai,Amanda Carvajal Salazar,Aadvik Gandhi, Mithran Obliprabu,Reyaan Dargan,Hilarion Stephenson Dela Paz, Elena Gulyas
Here were the five high school coaches: Jake Dubinsky, Ava Nieves, Teagan Hughes, Steven Shimko, and Maya Patel
Here were the 13 Milltown staff volunteers:: Sara Laster, Gina Quaglia, Tara Mongno, Maria Shimko, Jaime Bowman, Amy Stires, Katie Gray, Eleni Ward, Courtney Rothkugel, Meghan Friedman, Debbie Shah-Patel, Debbie Rothbard, and Milltown Principal Dr. Matt Lembo
Click the link to the slideshow created by Ms. Shah-Patel with video assistance from former Milltown student Ashley Mongno.
Milltown Primary School Basketball Buddies
Here are video clips of the Milltown Basketball Buddies game on March 18.
Video fo the Milltown Primary School Basketball Buddies game on March 18