University of Colorado medical students raise money on the basketball court for sick children

From the classroom to the court, University of Colorado Anschutz medical students are playing pickup basketball for charity.

They’ve traded in their scrubs for basketball jerseys and now, the games are raising money for a good cause.

“All the profits go to the Children’s Hospital of Colorado,” said YooJin Yoon, a third-year medical student at the university.

She, along with a dozen others, hit the court at the Moorhead Rec Center in Aurora for their first-ever basketball tournament.

“It snowballed into making a basketball club through our school,” Yoon said. “We received some funding to buy some basketballs so that more students can come out to play.”

“To be able to do this and host this at Moorhead Rec Center is also really great,” she continued. “It’s a great place for the community to come together and get to know each other.”

All funds raised will be donated to the Children’s Hospital of Colorado. And what better city to host than Colorado’s most diverse?

“It’s great to have events like this in our rec centers in Aurora because it really helps build community,” said City Spokesman Michael Brannen.

“It builds bridges between people of all different backgrounds,” he continued, “doing one great thing for a good cause.”

It was a slam dunk for these players, and the first of many tournaments to come.

The fundraising goal for this first year of the event was $1,000 and $1,050 was raised.

Anyone who wants to donate to Children’s Hospital should go to their website.

“We hope to make this bigger every year going forward,” Yoon said.

Saturday was pool play, with the top 8 of the 11 competing teams advancing to a single elimination bracket, which will take place on Saturday, March 16.