The fifth annual James Lafferty One Tree Hill Charity Basketball Game was part athletic event, part Hollywood. A DJ played music while actors dribbled down the court. Free throws were shot shirtless. And the second half was almost delayed because Jackson Brundage, the 7-year-old actor who plays Jamie on the filmed-in-Wilmington series, was so caught up dancing on the court, Lafferty had to pick him up and plop him down on the sidelines.
Each year, Lafferty, who plays basketball mentor Nathan Scott on The CW drama, hosts the game in Wilmington to thank his fans for their support and to raise money for various charities.
This year, the money from the 1,300 $25 tickets sold went to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Wilmington Family YMCA and Winnie’s Garden.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for fans of the show to meet the cast and I think it’s for a great cause,” said Chloe Glenn a 21-year-old fan from New Jersey.
She and her friend, Michelle DuBois, 24, from Atlanta, have attended the games for the past two years. Other fans came from as far away as Canada, Ohio and Florida.
This year DuBois and Glenn got a bonus. The night before, they were walking around downtown Wilmington and ran into Joe Manganiello, who plays Owen the bartender. To their surprise, he stopped and talked with them.
“They’re just good people, down to earth,” DuBois said of the cast.
The game, a face off between the “old” Tree Hill Ravens from the show’s early seasons and the “new” team, started out tough for Lafferty’s home team. The actor, who won his high school’s MVP award in basketball, wore his character’s balck jersey.
Helping him out were co-stars Antwon Tanner (Skills), Stephen Colletti (Chase Adams), Vaughn Wilson (Fergie) and others.
The newbies, who included Manganiello and wore white jerseys, racked up points early on. Laffety’s team fought back to end the first half 40-37.
But the momentum did not last. The gamed ended with the new cast members pulling off 89 points to the old school-ers’ 83.
It probably did not help that Brundage, Sophia Bush (Brooke Davis), Lee Norris (Mouth McFadden) and the show’s creator, Mark Schwahn, had microphones on the sidelines and were giving the players a hard time.
“The new Ravens have the lead, but the old Ravens have more screen time,” Schwahn announced at one point to the crowd. “But I think if the new Ravens continue to have the lead, they’ll have even less screen time.”
It’s likely most fans will not remember the details of the game, however. After the two 20-minute halves, most of the 1,300 fans queued up to wait (and wait) to seek autographs from cast members armed with uncapped Sharpies. The cast signed everything from DVDs and inflatable pink flamingoes to posters and the shirts on fans’ backs.
Meanwhile, crew members stood in the center of the court and auctioned off items from the set. The first item, a photo with the cast in attendance, went for $1,000 cash.
Scores of happy teenage girls walked out of Cape Fear Community College’s Shwartz Center giggling and firmly clutching their autographs.
“I expected chaos,” said 17-year-old fan Elizabeth Reese from Virginia. This was her first game. “I watched all season, religiously.”
SourceWe are anticipating photos within the next few hours. If any fans would like to donate their images, stories, videos, etc. please feel free to email us:
stunningsophiabush@yahoo.com
