The hoops tournament saw student teams playing each other, with the winners playing a group of Philadelphia police officers. It was the brainchild of three juniors at Parkway Center City Middle College — high school students who simultaneously take courses at CCP.
Jamie Gusrang, a sociology assistant professor at CCP, gave them a service learning assignment.
"My role, really was just to give them the project. And these students really ran with it," Gusrang said.
Junior Jaden Burnett said he wanted to help young people and police to better understand each other.
"We wanted to do something big for our community. So we thought: How about we bridge the gap between police and the youth in our community?" Burnett said.
And junior Frank Gillis-Corbitt said the cops-versus-kids game was born.
But junior Quadir Gamble wanted to give spectators more than a good game.
"I want them to leave with a sense of hope," Gamble said.
The tournament also raised money for children who have lost loved ones to homicide.