‘Big Game’ is a big deal — and raises big money — at Hersey High School

The gym at John Hersey High School in Arlington Heights shook with noise from the packed bleachers Monday as it played host to “The Big Game.”

The annual basketball contest features players from Northwest Suburban High School District 214’s Career Life Skills program for students with cognitive delays.

Hersey basketball players served as coaches and organizers for the teams and teachers were referees. Teams subbed in players every three minutes and everyone who wanted to shoot the ball got their chance.

Besides giving the players a chance to compete and shine in front of their Hersey classmates, the yearly game serves as a fundraiser for two worthy causes: the Amy Rudolph Basketball Tournament, held annually at Hoffman Estates High School in honor of a special needs student who died in 1982, and Gerry’s Café, a nonprofit coffee shop in Arlington Heights that provides meaningful employment for adults with intellectual disabilities, including several Hersey graduates.