Hoover hoops for ‘Hope’

NORTHWEST GLENDALE — The basketball game itself was likely secondary, as far as what motivated people to fill the Hoover High gymnasium on Friday night, but it ended up being worth the price of admission on its own.

A small group of teachers, coaches and administrators from the Glendale Unified School District and a dozen public figures from daytime television, network news and the Glendale mixed martial arts and boxing scene put on an entertaining show for an important and worthwhile cause on Friday night in the first ever Stars Shooting for Hope charity basketball game.

Proceeds from ticket sales and a silent auction of prizes and sports memorabilia were donated to the Desi Geestman Foundation, a charity organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for children suffering from cancer and their families.

“It’s tremendous to see the outpouring of help,” said Ileana Geestman, who founded the charity 10 years ago in memory of her daughter Desi, who passed away at the age of 12 in 1999 after a two-year battle against neuroblastoma. “We’re not a huge foundation, we’re hands on and we love kids volunteering. We do rely on this [kind of community event].”

Along with the game participants, numerous students, parents and staff from Hoover, Toll Middle School and Mark Keppel Elementary School volunteered their efforts to make the event possible, under the direction of co-coordinators Edgar Melik-Stepanyan and Tara Rall.

Cheer teams, band members and dance troupes from the three schools provided entertainment for their peers and parents throughout the night, as students were entertained by the antics of the celebrity guests while rooting on, or affectionately jeering, their teachers to an action-packed 57-53 win.

“Honestly, it couldn’t have gone any better,” said Melik-Stepanyan, a Hoover graduate and current teacher at Toll. “We raised a lot of money for an amazing cause, so everything was totally worth it. So many people volunteered so many hours and so much effort, I’m amazed.

“It’s a very unique foundation. A lot of foundations help out with research, but what [Desi Geestman] does is help out families in need, whether it might be gas cards, medical expenses, holiday parties. .. They’re remarkable.”

As an unexpected bonus to the success of the event, the contest between the teachers and celebrities was actually quite competitive and close until the end.

“I think I missed every three-pointer I took today,” said KABC News co-anchor Phillip Palmer, who is a Glendale resident. “It’s been about five or six years since I’ve played basketball, but for tonight, this was great, with everybody coming out to help the kids.

“For me, being a part of it is really important.”

Mixed martial arts fighter Manny Gamburyan spared no effort on the court and spared time from his own birthday to play in the game.

“I’m here for all these little kids,” Gamburyan said. “Every time I get a phone call like this, I get excited. I love doing this.”