Tis the season to give. As the basketball season begins at the start of the Christmas season, giving will be the theme for area teams participating in the Ohio High School Athletic Foundation Service Week

Although they will be considered exhibition games, all proceeds from the boys’ high school basketball games go toward the OHSAA Foundation that donates money to special projects or charities.

Proceeds from the Foundation Games go directly to the selected community service project, less a $250 contribution per school to the OHSAA Foundation, which will be returned to schools in the form of scholarships and leadership conferences for student-athletes in all sports.

Ironton High School and Chesapeake High School will serve as hosts for two local games to benefit the foundation.

Ironton will entertain Minford on Monday, Dec. 1, while Chesapeake will host Symmes Valley at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 2, as part of the foundation’s program.

Ironton’s proceeds will go toward Tiger Clan scholarships and Minford’s will be used in the Falcon Legacy Scholarship Foundation.

Chesapeake will donate its funds to the Lawrence County Job and Family Services.

Symmes Valley’s appearance in the game will benefit another cause. The Vikings are participants in “The Angel Tree Project” and the school will donate its portion of the proceeds to that program.

In Scioto County, Green’s boys and girls will play at Northwest on Tuesday with the Bobcats funds going to the Mike Brown Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Wheelersburg’s girls are at Portsmouth Clay tonight while the boys host East on Dec. 2. Both games benefit the education fund.

On Tuesday, Gallipolis boys and girls will play at Oak Hill.

During the Foundation Service Week, more than 270 schools will participate in events across the state. Look for more teams to get involved as the Foundation gets more exposure.

A complete list of Foundation games are available online at:

www.ohsaafoundation.org

–– Sinatra ––

Jim Walker is sports editor of The Ironton Tribune.