Ready for some fun and fancy basketball? This Thursday night the Harlem Ambassadors and Gainesville Hoopsters face off on the court at 7 p.m. at the Gainesville High School gym.

Tickets are $5. Kids 5 and under get in free.

The Ambassadors are famous for a Harlem-style basketball with comedy routines, high-flying slam dunks, dazzling ball-handling tricks and non-stop laughs.

The Ambassadors also deliver a positive message for kids and youth on the court and in the classroom.

“It’s good entertainment,” said Jim Goldsworthy of State Farm Insurance. “Before the game, the two teams get together, and of course there’s a lot of entertaining acts throughout.”

The Hoopsters lineup will include Robbie Newton, John Earl (FBC youth minister), Goldsworthy, Joe Christian, Nate Jackson, Derrell Comer, Phil Neeley, Kyle Searcy, Malcolm Royal, Trent Royal, and Buck Lawson.

All the tickets proceeds and concessions sales will go to the Boys and Girls Club of Cooke County.

“This benefit money is for the general fund to run programs for the kids,” said Tricia West, Chief Professional Officer of Boys & Girls Clubs of Cooke County, “and with the economy like it is, every dollar helps.”

She said the club does a lot of different programs for the kids.

“We’re a lot more than just sports,” she said, “Sports is a big part, sports is an important part, but we are a lot more than just sports. The daily after-school kids are the ones that really need someone every day.”

West said that approximately 300 kids and youth a day benefit from the daily program, grades kindergarten through high school, if you include the teen center. Kids come to the club after school until up to 6:30 p.m.

“During the school year they’re doing a lot of educational stuff and their homework,” said Goldsworthy. “It’s not about playing sports. They’re getting education, they’re getting homework assistance.”

West said each day the kids and youth do their homework in the BUG (Bring Up Grades) room and tutors are there with them to help them.

“We have a computer lab, and we always have a line to get in,” West continued. “We have 20 computers, so every 30 to 45 minutes we switch from computers to other homework.”

“A lot of people think the Boys and Girls Club is all about sports,” Goldsworthy added, “and sports is a necessary part of it, but the important message that the Boys and Girls Clubs send is education, and doing the right thing. Whether it be stay off drugs or stay out of gangs, the grades, that’s the foundation of the Boys and Girls Club, and sports is part of it but it’s not the foundation of it. “

When asked who was going to win the game Goldsworthy replied, “Well, the Boys and Girls Clubs going to win the game.”

“We can’t lose, that’s right,” Tricia added.

Goldsworthy said that the team he is sponsoring will give their best shot at coming out on top.

“Playing in that game last year, I was amazed at the different level that those guys have.,” he said “They play over 200 games a year, and it showed. We’ve got a good team, and some good athletes on our team.”

Goldsworthy also said that his team will include a special celebrity guest.

“Darcel McBath of the NFL for the Denver Broncos will be here,” he said. “He (McBath) can’t play because of an injury in the football season. He was on the team here that won state with Gainesville.”

“And he came here (Boys and Girls Club) every day,” West said, “and when he’s home he still comes here.”

“There’s a lot of people that have benefited from the fact that the Boys and Girls Club is here,” Goldsworthy continued, “and now, because they saw the importance of it as a young person, now give back to it as an adult.”

The Ambassadors are visiting two area schools today, Gainesville Middle School and Lee Intermediate.

“They are going to go around and talk to a lot of the area schools,” Goldsworthy noted. “They bring a good message, doing the right thing, school is the most important aspect that a young person can participate in. Sports is extra-curricular but the education is what’s going to get you to be a success.

“The Harlem Ambassador game was presented last year to us as an opportunity to raise funds,” Goldsworthy added. “It was two-fold: it was a way to raise some funds, much needed funds for the youth center and at the same time have a fun event for the community.

“We are inundated, as a society, with worthy causes,” he continued, “and there’s just a limited amount of dollars, especially in the economy that we’re in to go around. So when you can combine that good family fun and some entertainment and raise funds for a great cause, it just made a lot of sense.”

During the event there will be concessions and the menu includes pizza, hot dogs, chips, candy and drinks.

Tickets can be purchased at Jim Goldsworthy’s State Farm office at 113 California St. or at the Boys and Girls Club on 315 E. Hird Street and at the door the evening of the game.

For more information about the event contact Lee Russell at 665-0351, Tricia West at 665-6527 or Jim Goldsworthy at 665-7777.