After several years at venues all across the Lower Mainland, the It’s Bigger Than Basketball fundraiser is returning home to Abbotsford for 2026.
The seventh edition of the mental health fundraiser occurs inside Yale Secondary on Saturday (April 18).
The fundraiser debuted back in 2018 with the first game taking place inside Abbotsford’s Robert Bateman Secondary School. That inaugural event featured a basketball skills camp for young players (which included a mental health component) and an all-star game featuring some of the top boys and girls high school players.
Bateman hosted years one and two and the event shifted to the Langley Events Centre from 2022 to 2024. Last year’s event occurred at the UBC War Memorial Gymnasium. Over the previous six editions, more than $22,000 was raised for the Canadian Mental Health Association – BC Division and 2025 raised over $7,000 for the UBC Thunderbirds Mental Health Initiative. The 2026 game will once again collect funds for the UBC Thunderbirds Mental Health Initiative.
Organizers stated that more than $10,000 have already been raised for 2026, which is a new event record.
This year’s event features a full day of activity beginning with a 45-minute workshop hosted by former Oregon Duck, ASU Sun Devil and Canada women’s national basketball team member Taya Hanson. The Kelowna product won a gold medal for Canada in three-on-three basketball at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games and also collected gold for Canada at the FIBA Americas U16 Championship in 2015. Her workshop begins at approximately 10:30 a.m.
The media creator game follows at 11:15 a.m. and that game invites local social media and basketball influences to show their stuff on the court. The day continues with the women’s mini-tournament at 12:45 p.m., the men’s mini-tournament at 2:30 p.m., the boys high school all-star game at 4:15 p.m., a three-point shooting competition at 6 p.m. and the event closes with the girls high school all-star game at 6:45 p.m.
More than 100 athletes from all over the province are competing at the event.
Abbotsford players on the boys teams include: Taige Roberts (Yale), Saheb Chahal (Yale), Kaden Vandervelden (MEI), Colton Redekop (Abbotsford Christian), Ishaan Dhaliwal (Abbotsford Senior), Mercer Thiessen (MEI) and Aaryn Gill (Mouat).
Abbotsford players on the girls teams consist of: Julianna Reimeer (MEI), Gia Padwal (Bateman), Ella Tatlock (MEI) and Monica Demeter (Yale).
Abbotsford talents competing in the three-point contest include: Syra Rajdev (Yale), Suhani Rajdev (Yale), Ariella Derksen (Abbotsford Christian), Jashan Mangat (Mouat) and Shara Libres (Yale).
Former Yale Secondary basketball star Bradley Braich created the event and has operated all seven editions.
The idea for the game came from Braich himself, who scored many points on the court for the Lions basketball teams, but also struggled with many of the pressures and expectations associated with the game and being an athlete.
For more details on the event, visit itsbiggerthanbasketball.ca.