A Slam Dunk for Awareness and Celebration

By Aiden Darneider, Jack Walker and Colin Wiercinski

For the first time since the recent re-opening of the Mac McCarty Athletic Center, the Dunk Alzheimer’s committee hosted their annual basketball bash event. Jonathan Segal ’15 founded the tradition in 2013, as a way to honor his grandmother who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at 60. Since its founding, upper school students, including Jonathan’s younger sister, Caroline Segal ’20, have continued to host the event to ensure its growth. Since its creation, Dunk Alz has raised more than $100,000 towards Alzheimer’s research. At the games, the Dunk Alz Committee sells merchandise, food and beverages, holds halftime competitions and hosts raffles.

Charlie Ver Eecke, a North Shore Country Day senior and member of the Dunk Alz Committee, said that “Planning Dunk Alz was one of the highlights of my time at North Shore. Working on the event for multiple weeks, then seeing it come to life with so much hype and energy was very rewarding. It took a lot of work, but it was all worth it in the end as we raised nearly 11,000 dollars [this year].” All of these proceeds go directly to funding Alzheimer’s research.

Adding to the accomplishments of the program, both the boys and girls varsity basketball teams fought hard to pull out a win for North Shore. This does not come as a surprise, as both teams have shown similar success throughout the season. The boys varsity team displayed their talents in a 51-37 win against MCC (Muslim Education Center), the girls varsity also pulled out a 40-13 win against a strong British School of Chicago team. From an individual perspective, Senior Henry Gallun showed outstanding ability and athleticism, assisting multiple shots while also being aggressive on the boards. Additionally, for the girls, Reese Meyers displayed her impeccable defensive abilities, having multiple steals which were taken to the hoop for some easy points. The liveliness of each North Shore team contributes to the success of this program, providing action-packed entertainment, and a place for all to come together in support of a great cause.

The Dunk Alzheimer’s dance truly captures the school spirit to come together for a good cause, highlighting the strength of the North Shore Country Day community. After a long day of victorious and exciting basketball games, the Dunk Alzheimer’s Dance is an annual tradition to bring students together to celebrate the success of the event. The dance continues to be a student favorite because of its electric atmosphere, unforgettable memories, and great music. A DJ sets the tone for the night’s conclusion, and once again, the Student Council delivered a successful event. Overall, the Dunk Alzheimer's Dance has once again highlighted school spirit and united the North Shore Country Day community to celebrate the purposeful cause, calling attention to the success of the event this year, and many more to come.

As sophomore Kaeden Ackley stated, “Dunk Alz represents who we are as a community. We all came together to support a great cause and raise money for Alzheimer's Awareness.”