Showtime Sportz will be holding a fundraising event on Saturday, Dec. 16, to help raise money for Savannah Tobias to travel to compete in the 2024 United World Games in Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Austria.
Tobias, a 15-year-old freshman at Mingus Union High School, was selected from several hundred candidates to represent the United States in women’s basketball at the UWG in June 2024. She will be playing on the 16U team alongside seven other girls.
Founded in 2005 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the United World Games is an Olympic-style youth sports tournament of 800 teams from 40 countries competing in 16 sports over four days every June.
Bruce Jurecki, owner of Showtime Sportz, is hosting the fundraiser. Tobias had been a part of Showtime Sportz programs for almost four years, playing in volleyball, basketball and various sports camps.
The fundraising event will involve different competitions held throughout the day, including a free throw contest, a three-point contest, one-on-one competitions and an adult three-on-three tournament, all with prizes for winners. Each event will be broken down into age groups. Participants can register online and select the events in which they would like to compete.
“This is a great opportunity and probably one we may never see again for anybody out of the Verde Valley, so we definitely want to jump on that and support them,” Jurecki said. “She’s a great young lady. Great leader, great everything.”
“I’ve got a lot of big athletes in my life, but it’s a one-in-a-million shot,” Jurecki continued. “I think it’s a big deal. When you get somebody who is in our community and has this opportunity to go represent and travel across the seas, you have to get behind it, especially when that someone has participated in our events … It’s a no brainer to me. They’ve been a part of our little family now for a few years.”
Showtime Sportz provides an opportunity for children and teens in the Cottonwood area to participate in different sports throughout the year. Jurecki likened Showtime to a city league, except it is private. Flag football is its main sport and what got the organization started, but the organization also offers volleyball and basketball and plan to add soccer next year. It hosts leagues, camps and tournaments year-round.
“Being from a small town, it’s good to see how a community comes together to help each other out and support each other,” Savannah’s mother Jenna Tobias said. “Bruce and Showtime Sportz have done that. Savannah has played with them the last several years and their dedication to youth sports is unwavering. We can’t thank them enough for doing this for her. Their support does not go unnoticed. We hope to see everyone there for a day of fun. Anyone can come. It’s going to be a good time for a great girl.”
Registration for the fundraiser closes on Thursday, Nov. 30. For more information and to register, visit showtimesportz.com.
