The Manteno and Bishop McNamara boys basketball teams met for the second straight season Tuesday, a game the Fightin’ Irish won 61-24 to give them back-to-back wins against the Panthers.

But again, for the second year of the rival schools coming together, it’s pretty difficult to say anyone truly lost the game.

After the Fightin’ Irish held a night to raise money and awareness to combat childhood cancer last winter, the Panthers hosted Safe Harbor night Tuesday to benefit Harbor House, the Kankakee area’s longtime domestic violence nonprofit organization.

“Two student bodies, two good schools that do things the right way,” McNamara coach Adrian Provost said. “We committed to helping people last year at our place, and now this year, Harbor House is a great organization. They’re trying to improve to help the community even more. I think two schools helped them do that tonight, and that’s what it’s about.”

Donation bins at the entrance quickly overflowed with dishwasher pods, toilet paper, garbage bags and other useful necessities for Harbor House’s full-service shelter. A 50-50 raffle was held, with both halves eventually going to the organization after the winner, Zairius West Jr., the son of Manteno freshman coach Zairius West, announced he was giving his winnings back.

Additionally, Harbor House prevention advocate Stephanie addressed the crowd, thanking them for their generosity and informing them of the services Harbor House provides. In addition to their full-service shelter, they also offer a 24-hour hotline, counseling, emergency services and advocacy for domestic violence victims and their children.

“We’re almost entirely donation-run,” Stephanie said. “Our community comes through with finances, but they also help with our clients as far as clothing, toiletries, even as much as new furniture for their new homes. A lot of times, we get donations of new furniture that we set aside for women and men that are getting back on their feet, starting an apartment together with their new family, or whatever that looks like for them.

“Just having donations for the small stuff like paper towels or toilet paper just takes another thing off of someone’s mind,” she continued. “It’s just a beautiful thing seeing how the community comes together that way.”

Provost and Manteno head coach Zack Myers credited West, a sergeant for the Manteno Police Department, for getting the ball rolling on the idea for the night. And like West, Provost, the deputy chief for the Bradley Police Department, has seen just how vital Harbor House is.

“We both know that they’re a huge support for law enforcement and give us options for people who need help,” Provost said. “We can only do so much as officers. … We can hand them off to Harbor House, who helps them get on the next steps to their lives and move forward. It’s huge. A good thing."

Stephanie is a familiar face for the Manteno youth, particularly as Harbor House’s representative for the Manteno Chamber of Commerce mentorship program. Myers knows how present she and Harbor House have been in the Manteno community, and he also knows that this time of year is when the organization can often be stretched quite thin.

“I know winter time is a time they can get especially busy, so we wanted to bring that to light and help in any way we could,” Myers said. “ … It’s nice to know they’re getting to the kids early and making an impact there."

Both coaches were sure to explain to their players the importance of organizations like Harbor House, particularly at an age when teenagers may start to develop their first significant relationships. While the coaches’ roles in their players’ lives may be rooted in male support, for Stephanie, domestic violence has no gender.

“I would love to just sit with teens, specifically in sports,” Stephanie said. “I think there’s another level of conversation to be had, but in general when I’m in classrooms, I don’t make that a boy or a girl conversation. It’s the same stuff, and I make sure that I use open language. Anybody can be a victim of domestic violence, male or female.”

Potential victims of domestic violence can contact Harbor House 24/7 at 815-932-5800 and can visit harborhousedv.org.

Anyone who would like to donate shelter necessities, clothes and furniture [both for victims and for the organization’s resale shoppe in Watseka] or financial donations can call 815-932-5814 or visit harborhousedv.org/support.