On Saturday, March 31, alumni of Athens High School will be able to play a game they love, meeting old friends and raising money for a good cause.

The Athens High School Alumni Association will host its third-annual alumni basketball game at the AHS gymnasium. The event is at 5 p.m.

While the previous two years have featured just a mens basketball game, alumni association member Trey Townsend said this year’s event will feature a 3-point and slam dunk contest as well as a half-court shot and free throw competition. He said they also hope enough women sign up to have a womens alumni game.

“We’ve tried to shoot for girl games, but have not had enough participation to get a girls game going,” Townsend said. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to get that participation this year. We’re also adding the other contests in order to get a bigger draw.”

There is a $5 admission fee, and the fee to participate in either the game or any of the skills competitions is $10.

“Anyone who graduated from Athens High School is eligible to play,” Townsend said. “You don’t necessarily have to have played basketball. We are open to all graduates.”

While the event is a fun experience for the participants, the main reason for the event is to raise money for the alumni association’s scholarship program.

“The basis of this game is a fundraiser for two scholarships we give out at awards day at the end of the school year,” Townsend said. “We give a scholarship to one boy and one girl. We want to have fun, but the goal is to raise as much money as we can for the scholarships.”

Every Athens High senior with a 3.0 grade-point average or higher can apply for the scholarships, Townsend said. The school counselor will gather the eligible students, who will then write an essay.

“The past few years, we’ve probably had 20 to 30 eligible students apply for the scholarship,” Townsend said. “The amount we give varies from year to year. The first year, it wasn’t as much, and last year the kids got $500 each.”

All the money raised from the alumni basketball games goes toward the scholarships, which is why it’s important for as many people as possible to attend.

“It’s a fun way to get people to come back out, connect with old friends and raise some money for the scholarships,” Townsend said. “It’s a lot of fun and for a very good cause.”

For more information about the alumni game, call Townsend at 256-321-5504 or Ranelda Woods at 256-394-9662.