Wheelchair athletes roll into Bell Buckle

The University of Alabama has more than one national championship to brag about. The women's wheelchair basketball team won the championship for the 2008-2009 season and are well on their way to another. They will be at Webb School Saturday for the inaugural Heritage Medical Center Rollin' Round Robin Classic.
(Submitted photo)

Look for the national wheelchair basketball champs.

The University of Alabama's Women's Wheelchair basketball team won the 2009 Women's Wheelchair basketball championship after a 34-2 season, and only missed winning the top slot the year before by one point. Fresh from the West Regional tournament in Phoenix, Ariz., where they won all four games, the ladies are ready to take on all comers at this weekend's Heritage Medical Center Rollin' Round Robin Classic, where they will be joined by the UA's men's team, as well as teams from the Lakeshore Foundation in Birmingham, Ala., and The Shepherd Center, from Atlanta.

Saturday's event which takes place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Webb in Bell Buckle, is the first Rollin' Round Robin Classic, organized to raise money for a basketball court at the town's park.

"Our goal is to provide the public with a very spirited and inspiring sporting event, but more importantly, to raise awareness for supporting physically challenged events in our communities," said Webb. "We would love to grow this event to include vendors with products that are new and innovative in the realm of physically challenged health care, as well as offering education in the fields of opportunity for individuals with specific abilities and talents."

Webb's nephew, Jared Arambula, is one of those athletes, playing for Alabama's men's team, also a force to reckoned with. Jared has won two gold medals at the Junior Paralympics in his favorite sport. He's been playing since he was 5 and has been featured on television and in print for his ability and his determination.

With far less of ability but just as much determination, local dignitaries such as Jim Tracy and Pat Marsh are going to play in exhibition games against the young athletes, using the same wheelchairs and rules. There will be two such games between 11 and 11:30 a.m. Awards will be presented at 3.

Besides the exhibition games and regular tournament play, there will be a performance by the Cascade cheerleaders, and a 50/50 $1,000 cash shoot-the-hoop contest. Tickets for this are $1 each, but for $10, you can get a "free-throw length" of tickets, which can be 25 to 30 tickets. Those who have their tickets drawn get to pick a player to shoot for them. The best out of 10 shots from the free-throw line or farther back wins the ticket bearer $500 cash. The remaining $500 will go toward the construction of the new basketball court.

There will also be a barbecue dinner featuring the winner of the 2009 Best of the Butts People's Choice winners for $5 a plate, which includes two side dishes from the Bell Buckle Café.

If you go

The Heritage Medical Center Rollin' Round Robin Classic Wheelchair Tournament will be from 8 a.m.to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Webb School. Tickets are $5 each, with children under 5 admitted free. Lunch will be available for $5, featuring barbecue from the Best of the Butts Peoples' Choice Award winner (for two years running), as well as two sides from the Bell Buckle Café. Tickets for the 50/50 $1,000 shoot-the-hoop contest are $1 each, but for $10, you can get 'free-throw length' tickets. For more information, contact Carla Webb at 389-7017.