Employees of Cincinnati Metro and the Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK) in Fort Wright, KY, met Feb. 26 on the basketball court at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College in the first annual Metro-TANK Tri-State Charity Basketball Shoot-Out. TANK won the game by 67-62, but the real winners were two local charities.

Proceeds from the event will provide more than 2,250 bus tokens for low-income individuals who need help getting to jobs and job training through the Everybody Rides Metro Foundation’s partner agencies. In addition, TANK will donate $900 in bus passes to the Welcome House of Northern Kentucky, which provides services for individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

“The event was a tremendous success for us. We will be able to provide a significant number of bus rides for people who cannot afford them,” said Everybody Rides Metro Executive Director Joe Curry. “It was a great game, and I think everyone who attended had a lot of fun. This is just the start of a great tradition.”

Nearly 300 fans attended the game, played by agency employees including bus operators and staff from the accounting and communication departments. TANK General Manager Andrew Aiello played on his system’s team. Former ESPN reporter Betsy Ross announced the game, which was sponsored by attorney J. Thomas Hodges, a member of the Everybody Rides Metro board; Veolia Transportation; and an anonymous donor.

Representatives of Cincinnati Metro and TANK competed in a basketball game, but the real winners were the two charities that received the proceeds from the event.