March 28, 2024

Flight Squad dribbling into Colfax

Colfax Main Street and the Colfax Public Library have worked together to bring the Flight Squad dribbling and dunking show to Colfax at 7 p.m. Oct. 19 in the Colfax-Mingo gym.

The two organizations have partnered together to bring the Flight Squad, a Harlem Globetrotters like team, to the city gym to perform a show for the community.

“We got an email solicitation from them (Flight Squad) and I kind of passed it on to Main street because it sounded like it would be a great program for the kids,” director of the Colfax Public Library Jill Miller said.

While the Flight Squad will be coming into Colfax it did come at a cost but Colfax Main street and the Colfax Public Library were able to find some sponsorship to help with the cost of funding the event.

“We did get some funding from Mid-American Energy, so we are partnering with them also,” Miller said.

According to Stuart Patterson the director of Colfax Main Street the Flight Squad is an exhibition basketball team that performs tricks and other fun activities for those who attend their shows.

“They are kind of like the Harlem Globetrotters, so they do like tricks and kind of fun things like that,” Patterson said.

While they do perform tricks during their shows there will also be another added level to the show in Colfax as Patterson mentioned they are trying to find youth who would want to play against the Flight Squad.

“They are going to do like kind of a half court scrimmage type thing with the youth,” Patterson said.

Among these activities Patterson mentioned the Flight Squad plans on doing a three-point competition, a slam dunk competition and a skills competition with a speaker to talk to the audience afterward.

“One of their guys is going to speak to the kids that are going to be up there,” Patterson said.

The cost for a ticket to get into the event will be $5 with the hope that it will make it affordable for kids and families to gain admission to the event with the ability for people to sponsor the cost of the tickets.

“We are trying to make the event as free as possible for kids,” Patterson said. “They can either talk to us at Colfax Main Street or they can talk to Jill Miller at the Colfax Public Library.”

The focus of the event will be on the youth of Colfax, families of course will be there with their children, but there is also an importance on tailoring events towards the children in the community.

“We think youth is important so we want to make sure that there is opportunity for them in town to have fun,” Patterson said.

This event may be focused on the youth of Colfax but the organizations in the community realize the amount of families that live there and want to make sure to have events the whole family can come out and enjoy.

“This event even though it is geared towards kids, their parents are probably going to come and so we recognize it is important to have events like that,” Patterson said.

The family friendly event will kick off at 7 p.m. Oct. 19 in the Colfax-Mingo Jr/Sr High gym for all those families and youth who want to see the show.

“I just encourage them to come ... It is going to be a family program that the whole family can enjoy,” Miller said.

Contact Dustin Teays at 641-792-3121 ext. 6533 or dteays@newtondailynews.com