We can guarantee you at least three things tonight, Friday, if you head to see the YMCA Capital City Basketball League first-round playoff games at Valley High School starting at 5:30.

First, you'll see some pretty good basketball. Second, Patch will make it ridiculously easy to do some real good for some kids and families who could really use your help.

And, third, you'll have a chance to snag a Nike regulation basketball signed by Royce White.

Patch couldn't be more proud of its association with the Walnut Creek YMCA and the YMCA of Greater Des Moines. Sure, the Walnut Creek Y and its youth sports director, Derek Hannah, organize the YMCA Capital City League, and we love being lumped with sponsors that give back to the community like ADIO Chiropractic, Capital Orthopaedics, Coca-Cola and Peak Performance.

But we also know that the YMCA does even more for the community than provide good basketball, perhaps the most important being its Y Partners program, formerly known as Partners With Youth.

Money raised for the Partners program goes directly to a fund to help disadvantaged youth do something productive with their lives. Among other things, the program provides Y memberships for kids and families who otherwise couldn't afford them, and scholarships are provided for youth-sports camps and other activities.

So, here's the deal: Patch and the Walnut Creek YMCA will have a table set up at tonight's games where you can pay $1 per entry for a Royce White autographed basketball that we'll raffle off. And there's no limit to the number of tickets you can buy -- or the boost you can provide -- because we'd like to help as many people as possible, and every penny raised will go to the Partners program.

Want five chances? Five bucks. Ten chances? Pony up a 10-spot. One-hundred chances?

You get the picture.

So, yeah, there's only a chance you'll win that Nike ball with Royce's signature on it. But you're guaranteed to see -- free -- top players from Iowa State, Drake, AIB, area high schools and elsewhere play some competitive ball.

And you're guaranteed the opportunity to do some good for some people who may not have caught the breaks you have.

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Friday's Game Schedule (Valley High School, West Des Moines):

5:30 - Peak Performance (No. 3 seed) vs. Coca-Cola (No. 6)

6:45 - ADIO Chiropractic (No. 4) vs. The Walnut Creek YMCA (No. 5)

Sunday's Semi-Finals (Valley Southwoods Freshman High School):

4:30 - Capital Orthopaedic vs. winner of Peak/Coca-Cola game

5:45 - Patch.com vs. winner of ADIO/Walnut Creek Y

7:00 - Championship Game