Join us at the Back to School Buckets Event hosted at the UPBasketball Training Facility!

August 10, 2023

By: Dylan Tehada

The Back to School Buckets fundraiser scheduled for Saturday, August 19th at the UPBasketball training facility is right around the corner. Rising juniors at Serra High School, Mikey Ballout, Matthew Eck, Chris Philpott, and Charlie Willey are putting on the event that will include a handful of fun games and other events before the school year starts. The proceeds raised from this fundraiser will go towards the UPB Charitable Foundation, which focuses on providing opportunities for young girls and underprivileged children to learn and grow through sports. 

The event will feature fun activities and games for kids of all ages and free treats from sponsors IT’S-IT ice cream, Thatchers Gourmet Popcorn, and Clif Bar. Some of the activities include a 3 v 3 competition on the main court at the facility, a shooting competition, and a raffle. There will be two brackets, one ages 8-17 and one 18 years and above, for guests to participate in and compete. 

In addition to organizing the fun events that will take place during the event, the four high school students from Serra are hoping to make a substantial impact through their fundraising efforts. Ballout, Eck, Philpott, and Willie have all embraced a sense of brotherhood and unity on and off the court during their time at Serra high school and hope to incorporate and preach these same values through this event. They hope to not only make an impact on the Burlingame and San Mateo communities, but bring the Bay Area community together as a whole. 

“Basketball has helped me become a better person and recognize life skills like how to face adversity. It's also just given me a lot of opportunity to meet people and build new connections with people that I probably wouldn’t have made without having played basketball,” Eck said.

When asked about what it meant to be putting on this fundraiser Mikey Ballout said, “To be doing it on this scale, it means a lot to us because we're giving kids that don't have the opportunity we have playing basketball with each other, laughing, and making memories. We're kind of giving them that experience. So that means a lot to us.”

Hosting this event at the UPB facility is especially important to this group because of what UPB means to them and the lessons they learned during their time training at the facility. The intangible lessons taught at UPB, such as mental fortitude and communication, have inspired these four Serra students to preach the importance of the impact sports can have on young kids. 

In addition to UPB’s values as a training facility, the group putting on the fundraiser also resonates with the goals and objectives of including girls in sports and providing opportunities to underprivileged children. They believe in giving individuals an opportunity to realize their potential is unlimited no matter their background or where they come from and seek to embody these exact values through this event. 

The power of sports cannot be understated. Sports have the potential to change lives and build character. The four individuals putting on this event are very aware of the impact basketball has had on their life and seek to foster an environment where young kids can realize the power of sports.

“I have been playing basketball ever since I can remember and I think it represents its own community that is inclusive, competitive, and just fun,” Willey said. 

In addition to raising money for the UPB Charitable Foundation, the individuals putting on this event seek to also make an intangible impact on the community. They seek to bring people together and to spread the word about what UPB embodies and the significance of the lessons sports teach. 

“Basketball as a whole has just taught me so many life skills. It's taught me how to lead, be a teammate and just be able to work with people. That's a huge life skill on and off the court that we'll be able to use throughout our life,” Philpott said.

Mark your calendars for August 19th, we look forward to seeing you at the Back to School Buckets fundraiser! If you are interested in signing up or donating to the fundraiser, click here!