At the Gil Bishop Sports Center on April 15, both of the Bakersfield College men’s and women’s basketball teams participated in a fundraiser competition called 166 Miles that involved basketball teams from Cerro Coso and Porterville College. The event raised $415 for the Boys & Girls Club in Bakersfield, according to Mary Jane Johnson, scheduling technician for the Office of Academic Affairs.

The event was the result of a project by one of the group’s from the Kern Community College leadership academy. Johnson was part of the group.

Porterville won the event, while BC’s teams came in second. Johnson explained what the most important factors were.

“The money is not that important – it’s about getting the kids together, so that they have a good time and giving them some sense of helping a community. That’s what I hope is generated from it.”

However, she added, “It gives the Boys & Girls Club, who suffered a 60 percent drop in their funds, some extra money to work with.”

Brian Tully, a systems analyst and programmer of the KCCD and part of the leadership group, explained where the idea for the event came from.

“This idea came about as part of a program of the leadership of the KCCD. The idea was to come up with something that would expand over all three campuses.”

Tully talked about his expectations from the event.

“I hope the Boys & Girls Club get a chunk of cash that they didn’t have to do anything for. I’m hoping that the players get to feel that they have done something for their community.”

Tully added about how the event would impact the BC campus. “The campus gets the notoriety of being able to support the Boys & Girls Club just by having their basketball players practice one afternoon.”

BC men’s basketball coach Rich Hughes said that he had six returning players participate: Cooper Dameron, John Baird, Daniel Womack, Stevie Howard, Bart Dandridge and Eric Oros.

“This is more helping out the community,” Hughes said. “They approached right when the basketball season was about over. Both Paula [Dahl, BC women’s basketball coach] and I were excited to raise money for the Boys and Girls Club.”

Hughes added that the BC players would “just shoot and have some fun – no pressure.”

Porterville’s men’s and women’s participated, along with Cerro Coso’s women’s basketball team. According to Tully, the men’s basketball team at Cerro Coso is no longer functioning due to the budget cuts and to help the short-handed women’s basketball team and the Cerro Coso baseball team helped the women’s team.

Howard, a BC freshman guard, talked about how he enjoyed the fundraising event.

?”It was fun. Anything for the kids.”