Ottawa BlackJacks Announce Inaugural School Day Game

The Ottawa BlackJacks of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), Canada’s largest professional sports league, are pleased to announce the organization’s first-ever school game for Capital Region elementary and high school students on Wednesday, May 14 at The Arena at TD Place with presenting sponsor, Prezdential Basketball, founded by community leader, Manock Lual.

Taking place at 10:30 a.m., the BlackJacks will tip-off against the Capital Region All-Stars, led by Taffe Charles, head coach of Carleton University men’s basketball team. The BlackJacks and Prezdential are working with all major school boards across the Ottawa and Outaouis regions with the aim to provide students with the opportunity to experience live professional basketball, hear from an inspiring speaker and enjoy an exciting field trip with their peers from all areas of the Capital Region at a cost of $15 per student.

The BlackJacks have dedicated themselves to working with local community leaders to develop a presentation that will take place during halftime of the game highlighted by Manock and Prezdential whose mission is to empower youth by harnessing the power of sports, arts and mentorship with the ultimate goal of helping young individuals reach their full potential, foster personal growth, improve their leadership skills and become valued members of the community.

Based in Ottawa, Prezdenital operates in priority neighborhoods, recreational deserts and areas identified as “red” in the city’s Neighborhood Equity Index. As a Black-led organization, they centre the lived experiences of Black, racialized and marginalized youth while recognizing diversity and unique intersectionalities in every aspect of their programming.

“Our inaugural School Day Game is another important initiative designed to connect with and contribute to the Capital Region community,” said BlackJacks president Mark Wacyk. “The BlackJacks strongly believe that basketball is a unifying medium and bringing youth from all areas of Ottawa and the Outaouais provides tangible social benefits. In partnering with Prezdential and Manock, our audience will have the opportunity to listen to a powerful motivational speaker who is an important, innovative resource in our community."

Buses will begin arriving at 9:30 a.m. and throughout the day, students will have the opportunity to visit vendors located throughout the arena and to purchase BlackJacks merchandise. The Arena at TD Place is a cashless venue and additional information regarding the purchasing of food vouchers will be provided once tickets are purchased. Students will also be able to bring in bagged lunches for the event.

To assist with logistics, the BlackJacks have partnered with First Student Bus Company to offer discounted transportation who have secured buses specifically for the event and schools are highly encouraged to book transportation through the organization.

Any schools interested in participating can email [email protected], call 613-618-3000 with an estimated number of tickets or fill out the online form by Friday, April 11. One complimentary ticket will be provided for each 10 paid student tickets.

Spots are limited, so interested participants are encouraged to confirm their attendance as soon as possible. Although the game will be geared towards school groups, BlackJacks season-seat members will be welcome to attend the game at no additional cost and are encouraged to contact their sales representative for more information.

Flexible ticket packages are currently available to purchase by visiting theblackjacks.ca/tickets.

BlackJacks 2025 season-seat memberships are available now. For additional details, fans are encouraged to email [email protected] or call 613-690-0519.

All games are available for free to CEBL+ and TSN+ and in 2024, more than 50 CEBL games were broadcast live nationally on TSN, Canada’s Sports Leader, and Game+, with an additional eight games in French on RDS.

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