Community | 2011 Juno Hoops Celebrity Basketball Game

TORONTO - The first-ever Juno Hoops celebrity basketball game in support of MusiCounts, Canada's national music education charity, will take place at Ryerson's Kerr Hall Gymnasium on Monday, March 21. As part of the 40th Anniversary of the Juno Awards, two teams of acclaimed Canadian musicians and athletes will compete for the inaugural Juno Hoops trophy, complemented by musical performances. Ryerson Rams players Ashley MacDonald, Alexandrea Tkaczyk, Jordon Gauthier and Bjorn Michaelsen will participate in the game, while Ryerson coaches Roy Rana and Charles Kissi will coach the celebrity squads. Celebrity Players: Donovan Bailey, three-time World champion and Olympic double gold medalist sprinter Max Kerman, lead singer of The Arkells Glenn Lewis, Grammy nominated and Juno Award winner Best R&B/Soul Recording (2002) J.E. Skeets & Tas Melas, co-hosts of The Basketball Jones Show on The Score DJ Future the Prince, Drake's official tour DJ Skratch Bastid, first DJ to be nominated for a Juno (Producer of the Year, 2008) Ray Robinson, former R&B/Soul Juno Award nominee Will Strickland, former professional player and UMAC president Dwayne Morgan, award-winning spoken word poet DJ Doc, Kardinal Offishall's official tour DJ and programmer on CHRY 105.5 FM Devo Brown, media personality Michael Grange, Globe and Mail writer, author of Basketball's Greatest Stars Dwayne Pitt, MAS Band bandleader (2009 Scotiabank Caribana Band of the Yearwinner) Aion Clarke, Toronto R&B star Adam White (lead vocalist) & James Nelan (lead guitarist) of The Reason, top rock band. Honourary Guest Coach: Tanya Kim, etalk Anchor Archie Alleyne, Award-winning jazz drummer and founder of group, Kollage Hosting and Game-Day Beats Mark Strong, Toronto Raptors game-day host and hype man Kid Kut, renowned urban music producer/promoter DJ Garrick Estick (Roots Canada) Pre-game Entertainment: Toronto R&B singer Aion, who sang Canadian national anthem at this year's NBA All-Star game weekend festivities in Los Angeles, will do the honours at Juno Hoops Half-time Entertainment: Renowned CW Jeffreys Collegiate Institute Drum Line will be performing a new piece written just for Juno Hoops. The school's music program received MusiCounts funding in 2010. Kelsey Wingerak reports.