High school alums to play basketball

Chuck – the famous rubber chicken passed between Lewis and Clark and Ferris, depending on who wins the annual high school basketball spirit contest – is getting some competition on the hardwood this weekend.

On Saturday, alumni from Lewis and Clark and Ferris are putting on their own spirit game: The Revenge of the Rubber Chicken.

“We just figured it would be an excellent idea,” said Paul Zimmerman, one of the organizers.

Graduates from as far back as 1978 are showing up for the Saturday game.

“I actually think it will be a great game,” Zimmerman said.

This year, the game is played at Ferris, but the plan is that the two schools will take turns hosting and that Revenge of the Rubber Chicken will become an annual game. This year’s game has a woman on the roster, but organizers said they hope interest will generate two games – male and female – in the future. Door prizes and drawings will be all night and the concession stands will be open.

The Spokane South Rotary Club is the official organizer, and proceeds go to scholarships for seniors at the two high schools.

Spokane South Rotary’s Scholarship Fund has supported students at Lewis and Clark and Ferris with more than $80,000 in scholarships already.

Every year at least one student from each school is selected as a scholarship recipient, and the amount is determined by how much money Rotary can raise that year.

“With the creation of a successful annual event we’re hoping to provide more scholarships each year and to help more students,” said Sherry Lewis, committee chair of the event.

Organizers are fairly certain this is the first series of alumni basketball games between the two schools.

“We are excited about the potential,” said Lewis. “The Rubber Chicken game is such a huge event, we’d love to build this to a similar level.”