•
SPORTS
Maccabi Gets
The Run•Around
•
Despite initial confusion, the
Maccabi Club's first fundraiser
for 1988 is a success
MIKE ROSENBAUM
Sports Writer
Detroit Maccabi Club
IIIr he
is about halfway home in
its effort to raise scholar-
ship money for local ath-
letes who wish to attend
next summer's international Maccabi
Games in Chicago, but who cannot af-
ford the full cost of the trip. This was
accomplished despite some initial
confusion about the purpose of the
event, according to club president Jay
Robinson.
The group held a fitness/fun-run
at the West Bloomfield Jewish Com-
munity Center Nov. 22. Over 100 run-
ners paid to take part. The turnout
pleased the organizers, including
Jerry Eisenshtadt, club vice-
president. "The results were well-
received and I think just from that we
can figure on doing this once a year,
in this particular form of fund-raiser,
to help establish scholarship funds for
years to come for the Maccabi Club."
Mark Saidman and Billy Jacobs also
helped to organize the fund-raiser.
Tony Spokajny, who will coach the
boy's softball team • at the Chicago
Games, attended the event with his
wife, Jill, son Danny, 5, daughter
Leah, 2, and nephew Scott, 10. "It was
a great way for a family to participate
in a worthwhile event," he said.
Spokajny was also pleased by the
large turnout. "Things were great.
We had a lot of support from diverse
members of the community, a lot of
people that we don't necessarily see
a lot of at the Center. There were
young kids there, there were older
people there."
According to Robinson, the fund-
raiser did have an uncertain start. He
had hoped most of the entrants would
make generous donations in order to
participate in the event, which
featured the run, a brunch and a raf-
fle of door prizes — including a color
TV — donated by area merchants.
Everyone who made a donation also
received a Maccabi key chain,
Dan Randazzo, Mark Fishman and Joyce Weckstein help celebrate the Maccabi Club
fund-raiser.
donated by Joel Kashdan, a Buddy's
Pizza gift certificate and a Maccabi T-
shirt, also donated by Buddy's.
Unfortunately, the Club's invita-
tions to local runners were apparent-
ly misunderstood by some. "Some peo-
ple thought it was like a (competitive)
run," said Robinson. In the invita-
tions, he continued, "we asked for a
minimum donation ($10) and, of
course, we wrote on it what it was for.
And so a lot of people sent in money,
like they would for a run, $10, $12,
which didn't really make much
money. Some people understood and
you got a decent check from 'em.
"But what happened is, once they
got there and saw what we were do-
ing, people were actually embarrass-
ed at the amount of money they sent
in. We got more money afterwards.
People said, 'I didn't know you guys
were doing this; and sent in addi-
tional funds:'
While he did not disclose an ac-
tual dollar amount, Robinson said
that the final donations gave the club
half the scholarship money it needs.
"It was our first time. It really went
well, I was really happy. It was well-
attended?'
Spokajny expects interest in the
Detroit team to pick up as the mid-
August date for the Chicago Games
draws closer. Over 3,000 young Jews,
ages 13-16, from the U.S and 20 other
ROUND UP
Prep Basketball
Sophomore Matt Hoffman
scored 17 points last Friday to
help North Farmington win
its first game in three tries,
65-53 over Redford Union.
Hoffman, the Raider's star-
ting point guard, has scored
in double figures in each
game and is averaging about
14 points and 5.5 assists per
contest, according to coach
Tom Negoshian. The coach
said he was not surprised that
Hoffman has earned a varsi-
ty spot as a sophomore. "The
only thing that surprised us
is that he's done so well so
quickly. He hasn't seemed to
have had any sophomore jit-
ters or anything like that at
this point?'
Rochester Adams senior
point guard David Rothstein
had nine points and four
assists in the Highlander's
65-36 win over Troy Athens.
Rothstein is Adams' co-
captain. A two-year starter,
he missed much of last season
with a severe ankle sprain,
but coach Mike Dillon says,
"This year he's come back a
lot stronger, physically
stronger, and he's played ex-
ceptionally well." Rothstein,
son of Piston's assistant coach
Ron Rothstein, leads his team
in assists,
4-On-4 Champs
The Celtics, captained by
Bruce Kaczander, finished
first in the Jewish Communi-
ty Center's men's 4-on-4
members-only fall basketball
league with a 7-0 record.
Leading scorers were Kac-
zander and Howie Heicklon.
The Nets, with Billy Barris
as captain, won the men's
4-on-4 open league, with a 6-0
mark. Former University of
Michigan guard Dave Baxter
was their leading scorer.
Four-team playoffs in both
leagues began this week,
with championship play
scheduled for Sunday. The
members-league game begins
at 11 a.m., the open league
plays at noon.
JCC Varsity
Wins Tourney
The Detroit JCC varsity
team won the Chanukah
basketball tournament at the
Jewish Community Center
with a perfect 4-0 record last
weekend. The Bronx Bombers
were second at 3-1 and Tem-
ple Israel placed third at 2-2.
The Detroit JCC beat the
Ann Arbor JCC, 65-16; the
Bronx Bombers, 42-29; and
Temple Israel, 58-21. They
won another game on a
forfeit.
Coach Barry Bershad's
squad included: Marty Upfall,
Tare Wigod, Greg Wolgin, J.J.
Modell, Marty Belkin, Ryan
Jaffe, Jason Vieder, Craig
Feldhandler, Scott Segal,
Steve Cohen and Joe Zeff.
The six teams which com-
peted all enjoyed the tourna-
ment, said the JCC's Candy
Bousquet, adding, "We're
looking forward to making it
an annual event."
Makes Split
Milt Fisher converted the
very difficult 4-6-7-10 split
while bowling in the
Brotherhood Eddie Jacobson
league of the B'nai B'rith
Bowling Association on Dec.
7.
Two Golds
For Gymnast
Nationally-ranked gymnast
Dana Dobransky of Sterling
Heights took two gold medals
at the Junior Orange Bowl In-
vitational meet in Miami,
December 5-6. Dobransky
finished first in the com-
pulsory round and in the floor
exercises, placing ninth
overall.
Dobransky will return to
Florida next month to attend
the senior national training
camp in Orlando for members
of the U.S. gymnastics team.
JCC Hoopsters
Scrimmage Zion
The Jewish Community
Center varsity basketball
team continued pre-season
scrimmages this week
against Zion Christian. The
non-competitive scrimmage
was used by both team's
coaches to work on different
aspects of their games.
The JCC team begins com-
petitive play with an away
game Jan. 14 against Detroit
Country Day's junior varsity
squad at 4:45 p.m.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
55