What is the WAFA Invitational?
Born from a passion to help others and a love of the sport of basketball, the WAFA Invitational Charity Basketball Tournament was created in April 2018. Terence Thomas and Mac Deng, two best friends for over 10 years, were inspired to bring the community together and raise money to help those in need. WAFA is an acronym that stands for ‘We’re All From Africa’, referring to the evolutionary idea that mankind originated in Africa. They wanted to create a brand and event that emphasized hospitality, unity, and inclusion. With WAFA, it doesn’t matter your skill level, race, religion, political beliefs, or socioeconomic standing. What matters is the idea that everyone is uniting for a positive cause. With this goal in mind, they initiated their own 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and co-founded the 100% non-profit, annual 3-v-3 charity tournament. With the goal to “spread the love”, the two agreed that each year the beneficiary of the tournament will change. The pair’s aim is to continuously grow the tournament into a Long Island staple and give back to the community that raised them.
