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weeklypress.com •
ucreview.com • july 10, 2013
Ikeem Dickerson plays basketball for his mother He grabs M.V.P hon- ors for the West Philly All-Stars
By Napoleon F. Kingcade U-City Review Sports Reporter
I
keem Dickerson’s mom hasn’t been home for the last six years. She was admitted into a nursing home after she suffered multiple strokes and spent two weeks in a coma. There are days when Ikeem Dickerson wishes his mother were back home enjoying life with the family. Six years ago, his mother, Charlene Dickerson, was taken to the Mercy Hospital of Philadelphia after feeling very ill. Today, she’s paralyzed on the left side of her body and needs the usage of a wheelchair to get around. She can barely see out of her right eye. Ikeem’s mother continues to need more medical attention, more therapy and more reha- bilitation at a nursing home in North Philadelphia. Just a few weeks ago, Dickerson visited his mother at the nursing home and told her that he played in the Magazine Showcase All-Star Basketball Classic and grabbed M.V.P honors. During his recent visit, Dickerson showed his mother the M.V.P trophy he earned.
On Friday evening, June 7, Ikeem Dickerson, a 6-foot- 5 inch power forward, ran the court at Francis Mye rs Recreation Center and scored 37 points and snatched down 13 big rebounds to lead the West Philly All-Stars to a 99-79 victory over the Southwest Philly All-Sta rs.
The former Sayre High star had 15 points at halftime, but poured it on in the second half when he scored 22 more points to lead the charge. In addition to being the All-Stars game’s leading scorer and named the game’s Most Valu- able Player, Dickerson also delivered several earth-shaking, monster dunks that thrilled the crowd at Myers Recreation Center.
“I didn’t know I scored that many points until some people walked over to me and told me I scored 37 points,” said Dickerson who finished his senior year at Sayre High School in 2012 and was named to the First All-Public team. “I didn’t even know there was an M.V.P trophy up for grabs. I didn’t see any trophies inside the gym when I ar- rived for the game. I just came to the center to play in the game. That’s all.”
Dickerson, who played one year at a junior college in Ty- ler, Texas, was remarkable in the Magazine Showcase All-
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A smiling Ikeem Dickerson. Photo. N.F. K.
Star Classic. He led the West Philly All-Stars on a vicious run which witnessed the team scoring 15 straight unan- swered points in a span of three minutes early in the third quarter. The Southwest Philly All-Stars kept on fighting and trading leads up until that point. After the Southwest All- Stars took a 22-21 lead, the West Philly
All-
Stars then went on a vicious rampage and started hitting shots all over the court. West Philly All-Star guard Kamani Jordan shared the offensive attack with Dickerson as he scored 30 points in the game. Jordan, who lives in West Philadelphia, but played bas- ketball at Imotep Charter, was the player who nailed the coffin shut on the Southwest Philly All-Stars. At halftime, Jordan had 13 points for the West Philly All-Stars before he finished up the game with 30. In addition to Jordan scoring 30 and Dickerson scoring 37 for the West All-Stars, Parkway-West guard John Herndon scored 16 points, Prep Charter guard Zahmeer Lett knocked down 11 points and Neumann Goretti forward Quadifi Malone contributed 5 points to wrap up the team’s All-Star victory. Dickerson was pouring down with sweat when the game ended just before 9 PM. “If there were more games like this, I would play in every one of them,” said Dickerson. There should be more games like this in our neighborhood to prevent all the crime and murders in the streets. Just seeing all of these young players playing together is just a great thing to have.” ``In the next Magazine Showcase Basketbball Classic being held on Saturday, July 20 at 4 PM, Dickerson will represent the West Philly All-Stars once again. This time, Dickerson will be playing on the courts of Christy Recreation Center located at 5600 Christian Street. The West Philly All-Stars will battle the Eastwick All-Stars. This game will be a re- match of last year’s summer championship game that was played on the Eastwick courts. The West All-Stars defeated the Eastwick All-Stars in the Weekend For Peace 2012 Bas- ketball Championship game that was played on the out- door courts at 81st and Mars Street.
`“I have lots of love for this game,” said Dickerson. “My mother was the first person to put a basketball in my hand. I was just 7-years-old when she taught me how to play bas- ketball. ``She taught me the game and I have been playing it ever since.
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``“She is the reason why I am still playing ball today”, con- tinued Dickerson. “She taught me the game of basketball and that’s why I work so hard to please her. I get up every morning and run miles in the street. Each day, I look for pickup games to play at the centers and I play those games to improve my game. My mother taught me to stay away from the streets and just play basketball. Right now, I just want get back to college and play more basketball. I want to make my mother happy and proud.”
``In the upcoming Magazine Showcase Basketball Classic at Christy Recreation Center, which is a free event, the doors will open at 1:45 PM for the girls’ game that will start at 2 PM. The boys’ game will start at 4 PM. All fans will receive a slice of cake to celebrate the birthday of Gregory “Chop” Scott, legendary drillmaster of the Gold Coast Buccaneers Drill team, who was shot and killed last February 27, 2013. Gregory Scott would have been 56 years old on July 16.
Free Farmers’ Market produce vouchers Available to Low-Income Old-
er Philadelphians By Haywood Brewster Staff Reporter
P
hiladelphia Corporation for Aging (PCA) has begun dis- tribution of Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program
produce vouchers, starting last Monday, July 8 as part of an annual program to encourage seniors to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Eligible Philadelphia seniors can re- ceive $20 worth of vouchers that can be used to purchase fresh Pennsylvania-grown produce sold at certified Farm- ers’ Markets in Philadelphia. Income-eligible Philadelphia residents, who will be age 60 or older by December 31, may receive the vouchers at PCA, 642 North Broad Street in Philadelphia (weekdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and at other designated sites. Vouchers will also be distributed at the Reading Terminal Market, 12th & Arch Sts., on July 9, 10 and 17, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., where they can be spent onsite. Proof of age (60+) and residency in Philadelphia must be presented to receive vouchers. Acceptable forms of identification include Pennsylvania driver’s license, Pennsylvania non-driver’s ID. Other forms of ID that include age and residency will also be accepted. Seniors must sign in person (or through a proxy) and may receive the vouchers only once per year. To receive the produce vouchers, 2013 household income must not exceed the following guidelines: 1 person: $21,257 2 people: $28,694 3 people: $36,131 4 people: $43,568
For questions about eligibility and more information, including other voucher distribution sites, call the PCA Helpline at 215-765-9040.
The vouchers, made available through funds from the continued on page 11
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