Pinoys in Australia hold basketball fundraiser for Sendong victims

Filipinos in Australia held a basketball exhibition game at the Sydney Entertainment Centre this month to raise funds for victims of tropical storm "Sendong" (international name: Washi) in the Philippines.   The Filipino Basketball Night was held on January 20 through the efforts of Hoopdreamz Ent. Pty. Ltd. CEO Marco Selorio and the Sydney Kings, and the Philippine Community Council (PCC-NSW). As of Wednesday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said the death toll from "Sendong" had risen to 1,259, and damage to property was estimated at P1.7 billion.   In a news release, the Philippine Consulate General in Sydney said, "Part of the ticket sales of Hoopdreamz and PCC will be donated to relief and reconstruction efforts in the wake of 'Sendong.' The activity is also in line with PCC's Philippine-Australian Disaster Emergency Response (PADER) project."  The matches began with an exhibition game between the Red and Blue Teams of the Hoopdreamz All-Stars, which mostly include Filipino-Australian players.   "Both teams showcased Filipino skill and talent on the basketball court which met with spirited cheers of support from the audience," the Consulate General said.   After the exhibition game, a match followed between the Sydney Kings and Perth Wildcats of the National Basketball League (NBL), Australia's top professional basketball league.   NBL has nine teams representing Adelaide, Auckland, Cairns,  the Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, Townsville and Woollongong. - VVP, GMA News