The Riverside Hawks, a fixture in the Harlem community since 1961, recently celebrated a year of excellence on the basketball court and in the classroom. The girls 16 and under team put together a 17-game winning streak and the boys Class of 2030 team won an AAU championship. There was a 100% high school graduation rate and those graduates went on to either college or a post-graduation college prep program. Those multi-faceted successes were celebrated at last week’s fundraising gala, HealthHope&Hoops.
“We need the funding to support our teams — everything from uniforms to travel to tournaments to tournament fees,” said board member Erika Irish Brown. “We need to make sure our students have all the academic programs that they need … so they can thrive and hopefully use basketball as a tool to achieve academic success.”
According to high school junior Laila Carr, “We’re very close and like family. That’s one of the things I really love about the program … Also, they did PSAT and SAT prep. They really care about the academics.”
Academic support is a huge part of the program, and the person who put much of that in place, Dr. Emily Anderson, was honored posthumously. Her absence was acutely felt by those who knew her and saw her impact.
“The Hawks meant so much to my mom because education was so important to her — not only having the children who are on the teams learn about teamwork and working together for a common cause, but also having the skills to be great people outside of basketball,” said Anderson’s daughter, Vanessa Justine Anderson. “She did so many things with scholarships and helping the kids be ready for college.”
High school junior Jessie Lee Toxey said the program has uplifted her in every aspect of her life. Her twin, Kennedy Lee Toxey, appreciated that boys and girls are treated equally.
Coach of the Year honoree Robert Dunn, who is also an assistant coach at Sarah Lawrence College, said, “I take what I learn at the college and I try to give it to them early, so when they get to college, they’re prepared and ready.”
“Our girls and boys are the future,” said Aswan Morris, the program’s executive director. “My hope is that we elevate both of those programs equally.”
Among the honorees were Gil Addo, Phil Isom, and Erik Gershwind, all significant longtime supporters of the Riverside program who have been instrumental in the individual and collective success of the scholar-athletes, on and off the basketball court.