(Cushing, Okla.) Students and staff at the CUE (Cushing Upper Elementary) were treated to a visit by Valentino “Magic” Willis, representative of the Harlem Comedy Basketball team. Willis was there to perform for Red Ribbon Week and to promote being drug free.
Known as the World’s Greatest Showman,” Willis was initially drafted by the New Jersey Nets and played in the Eastern Professional Basketball Leagues where he averaged 25 points per game.Willis found his forte, however, in comedy basketball where he has been entertaining fans across the country for decades.
Willis also conducts basketball clinics at summer camps and YMCAs and participates with the Special Olympics and the March of Dimes Walk America.
In addition to basketball, Willis has appeared in moves, “The Wiz,” with Michael Jackson and Diana Ross, and “For Heaven’s Sake” with Ray Bolger and Kent McCall. He has also appeared in several TV commercials for Pepsi-Cola and National Rental Car. As #6 on the Harlem Comedy Basketball team, Willis serves as coach, captain, and of course, the “World’s Greatest Showman!” As a gifted entertainer and positive role model, Willis takes pleasure in working with children.
“I love to work with kids,” Willis said. “I tell them never to give up, and always give it their best, no matter how difficult it may seem sometimes. I always try to emphasize their education and I tell them to stay in school.”
The Red Ribbon Campaign was organized by the National Family Partnership (NFP) to provide drug awareness by sponsoring the annual National Red Ribbon Celebration. Since its beginning in 1985, the Red Ribbon has touched the lives of millions of people around the world.To learn more about NFP and the Red Ribbon Campaign, go to www.redribbon.org
