Waltham's Kennedy Middle School hosts basketball game in honor of Al Garnache

For $2, Kennedy Middle School students got the chance to honor a beloved art teacher and "ultimate team player" on the basketball court.

Those entering the gymnasium for Friday's Al Garnache Memorial Faculty/Student Basketball Game were greeted by Garnache's picture and a reminder:"What the heart has once known, it shall never forget."

The middle school art teacher died Aug. 24, 2008, after a battle with esophageal cancer. He was 56. Garnache worked in Waltham schools for more than 32 years, spending most of his time at South and Kennedy middle schools. He left behind a legacy of admiration among former students and fellow teachers.

Friday's game - which was renamed in Garnache's honor - was started four years ago by physical education teacher Michael Peterson.

Peterson was one of Garnache's students in 1989.

"He was my art teacher in seventh and eighth grade. I came back to Kennedy four years ago to teach and we re-connected," Peterson said. "He loved playing in this game. I thought this year what better way to keep his memory alive than to name it after him."

Peterson said Garnache was a dedicated teacher, a good listener and a friend.

"He'd do anything to help the kids," he said. "This game is a great way for teachers and students to interact in a different atmosphere. It's a way for teachers and students to connect outside of the classroom."

The game pits a group of teachers against eighth-graders and many of the students are members of the school's basketball teams. Teachers have won the game for the last three years.

Music teacher Brad Ellenberg was on the teachers' team in memory of Garnache, who was a close friend.

"If it wasn't for Al, I wouldn't be playing today," he said. "Al was the ultimate team player. We spent long hours just talking ... we would talk about daily life, the ins and outs of teaching. He always had a great insight. He didn't treat you like he was the expert. I just learned an incredible amount from him about teaching and about life in general."

For some students, the game was a moment they had been waiting for.

"It's much anticipated because we've been waiting for this since sixth grade," said Jean Philippe O'Brien, 13. "They've beaten us every year since it's been on .... maybe the teachers might kill us today, we don't know. We're looking forward to a fun game."

Leah Wheaton, 14, a member of the girls basketball team, said she thought her team "had a pretty good shot" but predicted the teachers would win.

Even students watching from the sidelines were excited.

"It's exciting to see the students and the teachers play against each other and to see the teachers running around ... it's kind of weird," said Molly Greeley, 14. "I hope the students win."

A combination of boos and applause roared from the stands as teachers and students eagerly took to the court just past 3 p.m. on Friday.

The teams were divided into groups of fives. After close to an hour, with the teachers and students continuously interchanged, the teachers won the game 87 to 85.

Peterson said they raised $970 from ticket sales - $2 for student and $4 for adults - and $500 will be donated to the Al Garnache Memorial Scholarship fund, which will be awarded to a Waltham High School student interested in the arts. Two hundred dollars will be used for T-shirts for Kennedy Middle School basketball players.

Jeff Gilbride can be reached at 781-398-8005 or at jgilbrid@cnc.com