WHEELING – When the leaves begin to turn a symphony of colors and the temperature begins to turn toward the cold of winter, everyone knows it’s time to turn our minds towards Thanksgiving.

This year will be the 25th Annual Thanksgiving Food Basket Giveaway with Bethlehem Apostolic Temple, North Wheeling Youth Center and Shiloh Apostolic Faith Assembly of Weirton.

Over the past 25 years, the giveaway has grown from a few dozen people to several hundreds of people coming out hours early, leaving with baskets of food to feed a family for several weeks during the Thanksgiving season. This event was born out of the Rev. Darrell Cummings’ memories of being a young husband with a wife and two young children and being laid off from his job, not able to feed his family. He promised God, as he was trying to find food for his family for that Thanksgiving, that if he was ever in the position to help people during this time of year he would do it.

The event started with a small group back in 1990. It has grown each year until now, taking on community partners in order to help more people.

For the first time in 25 years, those involved will sponsor a fundraiser charity basketball game with the Harlem Ambassadors. This is an event families can enjoy together with laughter, comedy, slam dunks and high-flying hoops, all for a good cause.

All funds raised from this event will go toward the Thanksgiving Food Basket Giveaway and the North Wheeling Youth Center.

The team will be offering a unique brand of Harlem-style basketball featuring dazzling ball-handling tricks and hilarious comedy routines. The Harlem Ambassadors are a team of talented male and female basketball players that are drug-free, college-educated and positive in appearance. They are committed to giving their audience quality family entertainment and serving as positive role models for kids.

A team of local celebrities, men and women from our community, will play against the Harlem Ambassadors and be part of the comedy. C.J. Goodwin, a star athlete in our region, will be playing along with several celebrities including: Shawn Rine, sports editor for The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register; Ryan Stanko, WTOV 9 sports reporter; Jake Kauffman, WTRF 7 sports reporter; several participants from the Ohio County Sheriff’s Department, Wheeling Police Department, Wheeling Fire Department and West Virginia State Police; William Saunders, principal of Madison Elementary School; E.J. Schodzinski, director of athletics of Ohio University Eastern; Walker Holloway, vice president of Wheeling Rotary; Pastor James Agnew and son the Rev. James Agnew of Tree of Life, Martins Ferry; and several others. Adam Shinsky, executive director of Wheeling YMCA, will be one of the referees. Help one of them be the MVP by buying tickets from them to the game. Whoever sells the most tickets will be the MVP. Everyone will meet the Ambassadors after the game during a complimentary autograph session.

“We are proud to provide quality entertainment and lasting memories for audiences of all ages,” said Dale Moss, Harlem Ambassadors president. “It’s rewarding to give back, especially when the funds generated help to feed families during the holidays.”

North Wheeling Youth Center serves our community with the Easter Food Basket Giveaway, Thanksgiving Food Basket Giveaway, Christmas Basket Giveaway and the Adopt A Student program.

For more information, call Latisha Turner at 304-233-8899 or visit northwheelingyouthcenter.org, bethlehemapostolictemple.org, shilohapostolicfaithassembly.org or Twitter.com/DWCMinistries. Sponsorships can be mailed to North Wheeling Youth Center, P.O. Box 6051, Wheeling, WV 26003.