GREENSBORO SPORTS COUNCIL DISTRIBUTES $100,000 TO HAECO INVITATIONAL SCHOOLS

For immediate release.                                                                                    April 19, 2017

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Greensboro Sports Council donated $100,000 to the eight schools that participated in the 41st annual HAECO Invitational last December, the Council announced today.  In addition, the Sports Council donated $9,000 in scholarships and charitable contributions from tournament proceeds. The 42nd annual HAECO Invitational is set for Dec. 26-28, 2017 at the Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center. 

The $100,000 donation total works out to $12,500 for each of the eight participating schools.  In addition to the school donations, the Council awarded four $2,000 Bill Lee Scholarships, made a $1,000 donation to the Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club, a $5,000 donation to the North Carolina High School Athletic Association and a $1,000 donation to the Corrigan Faircloth Chapter of the National Football Foundation to sponsor a scholarship.

In recent years, the Greensboro Sports Council made the following donations to the HAECO Invitational participating schools following that year’s tournament:

2008: $96,000                                     2009: $80,000                                     2010: $86,000

2011: $100,000                                   2012: $108,000                                   2013: $112,000

2014: $112,000                                   2015: $112,000                                   2016: $100,000

“It’s great to be able to make these donations to our participating schools,” Greensboro Sports Council president Dodson Schenck said.  “Since it was founded in 1976, the HAECO Invitational mission has been to raise money for its participating schools.  In the early 2000s, we added the charitable component, and it’s gratifying to make charitable contributions and support our participating schools as we have for more than 40 years.  We thank our title sponsor, HAECO Americas, the many companies and individuals that help us fulfill our mission as well as our participating schools and the Greensboro Sports Council membership for their support.” 

The field for this year’s 42nd annual HAECO Invitational will feature men’s and women’s teams representing the same schools as last year: Dudley High School, defending men’s champion Greensboro Day School, Grimsley High School, Northern Guilford High School, defending women’s champion Northwest Guilford High School, Page High School, Ragsdale High School and Smith High School. 

The HAECO Invitational is an annual high school basketball tournament in Greensboro, N.C.  Founded in 1976 as the Little 4 Invitational, the tournament features men’s and women’s teams representing eight Guilford County high schools playing at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex.  Tournament proceeds are donated to local charities and the participating schools; the HAECO Invitational is planned and implemented by the Greensboro Sports Council.  For more information, please visit www.HAECOInvitational.com and follow the event on Twitter: @HAECOinvit and www.facebook.com/HAECOInvitational.