Soon the Cards will be back on the field – minicamp is the first weekend in May – but first there are some hoops in store for some players this weekend. Larry Fitzgerald, Steve Breaston and Early Doucet are among the Cards playing in the annual Assist 4 Africa charity basketball game put together by Channel 10 sportscaster Gayle Jansen. The game is this Sunday (April 19) at U.S. Airways Center at 3 p.m. Kurt Warner, who played in the game last year, is taking a pass because of his hip surgery, but he will be on hand to coach (One of the perennial stars of the game – Anquan Boldin – is back in Florida hosting his own charity weekend). Among the other athletes scheduled to take part are ex-Suns Eddie Johnson, Dan Majerle and Tom Chambers, along with former D-Backs like Quinton McCracken and Royce Clayton.
Tickets are on sale through ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000. More info can be found at Assist4Africa.com. Jansen put this game together a few years ago to help her brother Perry, a doctor who lives in Africa with his family running a huge clinic helping HIV/AIDS patients. It's a good cause and always a good time.
UPDATE: Oops, forgot one thing -- there are ebay auctions to raise extra money by giving a chance to either play or coach in the game. The winners will get introduced just like all the stars and be on the bench. Of course, if you play, you'll be on the court (one of the winners one year was a pretty good hoopster and was in during crunch time). Having had the chance to play in the game one year, I can tell you it is a thrill. Hurry -- today is the deadline.
