Granny Basketball Double Header Fundraiser
Date/Time
Date(s) - 06/04/2023
2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Location
Columbia Elementary School Gym
Categories
The Columbia Gold Diggers, California’s first Granny Basketball team, will play two games on Sunday, June 4 at Columbia Elementary School. The festivities begin at 2 p.m. when the Diggers will warm up the crowd by playing against the Rootin’ Tootin’ Teachers, a brave group of educators from Twain Harte, Murphys and Columbia. The second game, which starts at 3 p.m. is a revenge match against the Grampy Militia who narrowly defeated the Diggers last year (their only loss of the season). The event is a fundraiser for the Gold Diggers, who are traveling to Decorah, Iowa in July for the National Granny Basketball Tournament.
Admission to this unique, probably hilarious, event is a $3.00 raffle ticket. Prizes include many sought-after gifts from Columbia merchants: St. Charles Saloon, 7 Sisters Soap and Candles, Friends of Columbia, Nelson’s Candy, Brown’s Coffee House, Fallon Ice Cream Parlor, Kamice’s Photography, What Cheer Saloon, Lund Chiropractic, El Jardin, Bella Union Restaurant (Columbia House), Quartz Mountain Stage and others. The BIG PRIZE is 25 T gravel donated by Blue Mountain Minerals and can be won via silent auction. Contestants and ticket holders must be present to win. Special sponsors include Foothill Sierra Pest Control and Columbia Mercantile 1855.
For the uninitiated, Granny Basketball is an unrecognizable version of the current game. Players follow 1920s women’s basketball rules and wear vintage-uniforms (bloomers, middy blouses and long stockings). There is no running, jumping or physical contact, and only two dribbles are allowed. The game is played on a regular basketball court divided into thirds; two players from each team are limited to playing in their third of the court. You kinda have to see it to believe it.
In addition to the two games, spectators will enjoy half-time entertainment provided by the Folklorico Mexican Dancers–the dance group that wowed spectators at the recent Cinco de Mayo celebration held in Columbia a few weeks ago.
