Congratulations to this week’s Showcase Cinemas High School Team of the Week: Narragansett Unified Basketball!

From Krystal Cagnon, Coach:

I had the opportunity to work with the special education director to bring this program to our high school. The impact it has had on our school community is just amazing. We are overwhelmed by the number of students wanting to be involved and the support of the program. The students continue to amaze us each day with their kindness and support to one another. It is wonderful to witness. Not only are students helping one another on the court but also outside of the gym as well which is what we aim for. 17 students attended the unity ball a week ago (both regular and special education students) students senior projects are involving unified sports and inclusion opportunities for students through after school groups, bowling on sunday, working at our school store during advisory period together, and making videos to publicly show their dedication to unified sports and trying to spread the word and get others involved. The following is a speech the team wrote along with the coaches and it was shared at an event at Bryant University. Also a link to this years video for their initiative to get “fans in the stands”. Just yesterday, Channel 10 mentioned their initiative on the news.

We all have challenges, aspects of our lives that are difficult, but we also have strengths and unique perspectives we can contribute and offer to one another. Through sports, people come together. That is why we ask you all to help Narragansett in not only spreading the messages of Project Unify but also supporting Unified programs
including Unified Basketball.

Let me answer the following questions that some of you might be thinking: “What are the messages of project Unify?” and “What is Unified Basketball?” Project Unify is driven by Respect, Acceptance and Inclusion. Basically, Project Unify stresses that everyone is an equal and that there is strength in an active, close-knit community. Unified Basketball specifically is a program in which students of average mental capacity are joined with students who have special educational needs on a basketball team. This past year, Narragansett High School introduced Unified Basketball to the school and joined 24 other high schools across the state already enrolled in the program. Since joining the program we have pushed several initiatives in the hopes that we could spread the messages of Project Unify.

We started with “spread the word to end the word” which aims at eliminating the use of the “R” word from our vocabulary. Our team made a video that ended up going viral and attracted attention from local news, online web sites and even the Rhode Island Commissioner of Education shared in her emails across the state.

This year we are focusing on “Fans in the Stands” which is simply, we want more fans in our stands cheering the athletes on not only at our games but games around the state. So we are asking you to help us, first, by signing our pledge to end the use of the “R” word (direct people wherever the sign is) and by going to a game at your local high school! Thank you!

This year we are trying to get fans in our stands and challenging all of Rhode Island to “Top This!”

Cumulus Media Radio Stations, Showcase Cinemas, & the Rhode Island Interscholastic League congratulate this week’s stand-out team of the week.

Hear the team featured on Cumulus Media radio stations all week during our special on-air features, being played for the hundreds of thousands of local listeners, or on-demand below!