HIGH POINT — High Point University surprised a local family made up of HPU superfans with an all-expenses-paid trip to watch the Panthers play in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Portland, Oregon.
Jimmy and Alexis Ford and three of their children were escorted onto the basketball court inside the Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena and Conference Center during HPU’s special NCAA Tournament selection show watch party on Sunday and given the surprise a few minutes before the start of CBS’s show.
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The Fords will receive free airfare, hotel accommodations, food, ground transportation and more from HPU.
“This was the biggest surprise of my life,” Alexis Ford said. “It was something my family and I will never forget.”
Jimmy and Alexis Ford were born and raised in High Point and met each other in high school. After getting married, they then decided to raise their children in High Point.
The family attended every HPU home men’s basketball game this season thanks to HPU’s free community ticket giveaway, which provided free tickets to about 15,000 people during the season.
“Showing up and cheering for them every home game brightened our weeks, gave our children positive role models to look up to and strengthened our faith. God led us here. He blessed us 10 times over what I could have ever imagined. We came for the basketball but left with so much more,” she said.
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The Fords were selected to win the free trip from a pool of community superfans who attended HPU games this season through the free ticket program.
Fans also received free food at three men’s home games this season, making it possible for families to enjoy a free night at a college basketball game, HPU President Nido Qubein said.
“We are High Point’s University, and making free tickets and even dinner available to members of the community is one of the many ways HPU works to enhance our community,” he said. “We are blessed to be able to help families enjoy a wonderful night out for free.”
The HPU men’s and women’s basketball teams earned automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year after they won the Big South Conference championship in Johnson City, Tennessee, on March 8.
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The men’s team is a No. 12 seed and will face Wisconsin, a No. 5, at 1:50 p.m. on Thursday, March 19, in Portland. TBS will broadcast the game.
The women’s team is a No. 15 seed and will face Vanderbilt, a No. 2, at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 21. ESPNEWS will broadcast the game.
