Godby girls' basketball team raises funds, spirits with gospel brunch, call for peace

Aniyah Lewis, a player on the girls' basketball team at Godby High School, said she hopes the team's latest fundraising event will raise more than just money for their travel expenses.

"With this fundraising event, I really hope to inspire everyone to come together and make a difference. This will help show that when we all pitch in, even a little bit, we can have a big impact, and help out those in need," Lewis said in a written statement to the Tallahassee Democrat.

The Cougars varsity team will be hosting a gospel brunch fundraiser beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, in the Godby gym. The event, called 'Unity in the Tallahassee Community' will feature performances from local performing artists and featured guest, gospel singer Latice Crawford, who was a finalist on Sunday Best, a gospel singing competition show on the Black Entertainment Television network.

Tickets are available online now at Godby High School Events and Tickets by GoFan. General admission tickets are $25, VIP tickets are $40 and a full table costs $300. The 'Cougar pass' are tickets sold at the door and cost $10 at the entrance to the school, 1717 W. Tharpe St.

Head Coach Chelsea Johnson said team members decided they wanted to do something other than car washes and candy sales to raise necessary funds, and they wanted to do something impactful.

"A lot of the players on the team attend church, and they strengthen and broaden their faith through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes," Johnson said. "We want to help the program but also be able to shed light and bring some peace and unity in this community."

Johnson, who also teaches Advanced Placement Environmental Science, biology and physical science at Godby, graduated from the high school in 2005. She started as assistant coach for the basketball team in 2013 and then became the head coach in 2015, when she started teaching as well. She says she has seen significant changes at the school, most prominently, the negative effects of gun violence in nearby neighborhoods.

Trenity Hardy, a Godby senior, was shot and killed on Sept. 11. The tragedy and current spike of gun violence in Tallahassee also influenced the decision to use a message of unity for their fundraising event.

"In my years at Godby, I have attended almost 10 funerals in 10 years," Johnson said. She says she is proud that her players decided to shed light on a prominent issue.

Latice Crawford, an urban contemporary gospel singer, songwriter, actress and life coach based in New York, was chosen by Johnson and some of the team members for her inspiring songs and story.

"If they stay focused and continue to work hard, the sky is the limit for them," Crawford told the Tallahassee Democrat of the message she will deliver to the students. "They're looking at someone who made it through a storm, and I hope they can see in me, that it's OK to keep pushing on."

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Alaijah Brown is with the Tallahassee Democrat and can be reached at ABrown1@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Godby's basketball, gospel brunch raising funds and hope