3rd Annual Kwanzaa Invitational Basketball Tournament

     Mayor Wayne Smith's Kwanzaa Invitational Basketball Tournament was founded in 2008 by Brother Garry Harper and Mr. Anthony (Muhammad) Jones.  Together, they formed teams from the Irvington Biddy Basketball Program to give kids an opportunity to showcase their basketball skills in a tournament.  The Biddy Basketball Program has been in the Township of Irvington for the past 15 years at the Chris Gatling Center, 285 Union Ave.  The Chris Gatling Center has an AAU program on Saturdays from 11am to 1pm teaching kids free basketball instructions in age groups from 10 and under, 12 and under, & ages 13 to 15.  Besides Mayor Wayne Smith's Tournament, these two men have worked on many other programs together.  In 2006, they also founded the "Let Us Play" Summer Basketball League at the Union Avenue playground before moving to it's current location at Orange Park in Irvington.

     Mayor Wayne Smith's 3rd Annual Kwanzaa Invitational Basketball Tournament was held from December 26 to December 30, 2011, at the Chris Gatling Center.  In addition to the Irvington Kings AAU, there were several outside teams that participated from Newark, including Project Pride, Network, Westside H.S., NIA Prep, Weequahic H.S., Hot Boys, AAU, and FACES.  Also, there were the Skyliners from Scotch Plains; Northeastern AAU from Clifton; Playtime, Girls & Boys Club from Jersey City; PPY, All New Jersey Elite from Orange; PAL from Montclair, and the Linden Ballers from Linden.

     The 2011 tournament winners were The Network (ages 10 and under), The N.W.K. (ages 12 and under), and The Newark Bruins (ages 13 to 15).

                                                                                                                                                 Information provided by Garry Harper.