A Hillsborough County middle school is turning to the courts to raise some funds.
Basketball courts, that is.
On Tuesday night the stands were packed, and fans wore school colors, but there were no Liberty Middle School students on the court. There were professionals, and not just the basketball kind.
Those who teach and lead the school faced off against the Harlem Wizards.
"I love all the Wizards, super funny,” said student Quinn Nelson, “My teachers out there too, so it's really great, it's really fun."
The game was less about the numbers on the scoreboard and more about the number of people who paid to see educators getting a little education about slam-dunks.
Principal James Ammirati was among the players.
"We have our own moves, maybe 10-15 years ago for some of us, but we hold our own as you can see tonight," said Ammirati.
The game is the first fundraiser of its kind for the school.
"The money will be going back in to the school for our uniform closet, teacher supplies, student supplies," said PTSA President Melissa Auker. "We thought, why not mix it up and bring in a professional basketball team?"
Mixing it up seems to have worked. They sold enough tickets to raise more than $2,600.
Like the well-known Harlem Globetrotters, the Harlem Wizards are as much about having fun as they are showing off their talent. The opposing team, “Liberty Fast Break,” was made up of teachers, parents, and even retired professional sports players.
"It's actually really cool and I really like it. I'm really enjoying it," said student Brianna Auker.
"The Wizards are really good at this, but it's a really close game," said student Colton Rairigh.
The main message was about community, not competition.
"It takes a community to make Liberty Middle a great school,” said Ammirati. “We've been an A school for 12 years and that's what it takes. Teachers, families, community, business partners to truly make this happen."
The PTSA says it would like to try more of these unique fundraising ideas.