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The America's Promise Coalition and Family Resource Network hosted a traveling basketball team in April to promote positive choices in two Randolph County schools.

The ESPN Radio Drug-free All Stars, based in Bluefield, played at Harman School in the morning and Tygarts Valley Middle/High School in the afternoon.

The Drug-Free All Stars use basketball as a way to communicate with students about the importance of making good decisions, staying drug-free, and having confidence and self-respect. Team members use games, dance, music, trick shots and contests to interact with students and teach lessons about making healthful choices.

The Drug-Free All Stars played against the Harman boys team in front of the entire student body and staff. Following the games, the All Stars signed autographs, hung out and had lunch with the students at Harman. At Mill Creek, the team played the Tygarts Valley boys team in front of a packed house of middle and high school students and staff.

"We are thrilled to be able to have them come into Randolph County and deliver their positive messages to our local students," said Steve Belan, project director of the America's Promise Coalition. "They've been together for about four years but have been limited to playing in Mercer County. They've only recently been able to start traveling throughout the state.

"When Greg Puckett called and offered to come our way, we jumped at the chance to bring them to Randolph County," he said. "Hopefully, we'll be able to bring them back again next year to some different schools.

"I'd also like to thank Canaan Valley Resort, who helped us with some cottages for the team, as well as Debbie Schmidlen at Harman and Steve Wamsley at Tygarts Valley," Belan said. "Both principals were great to work with and did everything they could to accommodate the team."

Puckett is the coordinator for Mercer County Community Connections Inc., the host organization for the Drug-Free All Stars.