Kids + Detroit Pistons = Crazy Fun

Hey All!  Below is guest post from my lovely Mom about her recent adventure accompanying some students and teachers from her school to trip to a Piston's game!  My Mom is a school psychologist at a center program for kids with disabilities in Warren, Michigan.  Check out her post about all the crazy fun the kids had watching Deee-troit Basketball!
-xo, Lauren

On Tuesday I helped chaperone some of our students at a Valentine’s Day Piston’s game – a first for me and for most of the kids. What a blast! There was music, a drum corp, cheerleaders, dancing ushers, the kiss cam, a giant disco ball, a cool R&B halftime show, a tumbling crew, lots of cotton candy, a marriage proposal – oh yeah, AND some great basketball! 

I was a little nervous because earlier in the day I had read something online that said “Streaking Spurs take on lowly Pistons” and was hoping for the kids’ sake that it wouldn’t be a complete blow out. We were not disappointed!!!  The Pistons played great and were even in the lead a minute or two before the final buzzer.  Ultimately, we lost, but it was a real nail biter and we were all hoarse the next morning from cheering and screaming our heads off!

Our seats were free – thanks Piston’s management (no one even got a nosebleed)!

Group shot of the kids!!

On the left, Michael and his Valentines - Miss Nicole and Miss Helen.

On the right, friends Christopher and Anna with some Humana swag.

Antonio (basketball fan extraordinaire) watches the game, while Austin watches everything else but!

On the left, Sean (in Piston’s colors) checking out the action.

On the right, the beautiful and sassy Elizabeth (who I at first alarmingly thought was sitting next to the scary stage hand from Letterman but who turned out to be our nice, go-with-the-flow bus driver).

                 

On the left, Miss Karen and on the right, Miss Andrea, who along with fellow teachers Miss Helen and Miss Nicole - skipped spending Valentine’s evening with their families so their students could go to the game.

*Note and shameless bragging – our teachers regularly go the extra mile by raising money and donating their time so our students can attend special events such as this game,  Special Olympics,  camp, etc.  Helen and Andrea both wrote and received grants this year for their classrooms (do you know how hard it is to write a stupid grant!).  This weekend, Helen and several of our other teachers will freeze their butts off by participating in the Polar Plunge on Belle Isle to raise money for Special Olympics. Our teachers are the best!

The boys make some noise!!!!!

After the game, the drum corp performed in the lobby and then graciously let our students make some music (and by that I mean really loud noise) using their drums sets and giant cymbals. The kids felt super cool and it was an awesome end to a great night.

The Piston’s are definitely on the rise (as evidenced by the fact that they beat a well rested, #2 in their division Celtics on their home court the very next night!...and I know this because of my NBA tutor, Antonio) - so get on out to a game if you have the chance!