The 2026 Rwabutaza Basketball Classic & Reunion, Event A, Teams’ Media Session & The Reunion’s Meet & Greet
Dear our Tanzanian friends, families, colleagues and affiliates in the US:
Welcome to our 2026 Rwabutaza Basketball Classic & Reunion! Rwabutaza Basketball Classic & Reunion is an exclusive 3-day sporting, social, business, and a networking event for Tanzanians in the US. In 2026, it will be held on the Memorial Day Holiday Weekend from Friday, May 22, 2026, until Monday, May 25, 2026, in the beautiful city of Columbus, Ohio.
Our first event, Event A, Teams’ Media Session & The Reunion’s Meet & Greet, is a relaxed, casual, celebratory kick-off event to welcome our basketball teams and our guests before the weekend’s bigger activities. This is our basketball teams’ media day for photo shoot, video shoot and interviews. The venue for the Friday opening night event, Teams’ Media Session & The Reunion Meet & Greet, is Renaissance Columbus Westerville-Polaris Hotel, 409 Altair Parkway, Westerville, OH 43082.
What is the mission, vision and purpose of Rwabutaza Basketball Classic & Reunion?
Our mission is to promote health, fitness, wellness, leadership, teamwork, unity, and collaboration among Tanzanians in the U.S. in regards to economic, investing, business, cultural and social endeavors. The event is US-based. It involves a four-team Tanzanian men’s basketball championship, and a two-team Tanzanian women’s basketball championship. It operates as a reunion and a business event for Tanzanians in the US as it hosts various social, business, and networking events. Old and new Tanzanian friends, families, colleagues and affiliates meet, connect and reconnect for community, social, cultural, business and economic purposes. Our vision is to connect every Tanzanian living in the U.S. There is power and magic in individuals, communities and businesses connecting, collaborating and transacting with one another in well connected self-sufficient economies.
For more details on the 2026 Rwabutaza Basketball Classic & Reunion, please refer to the following pages:
- The RSVP guest list of our 2026 Rwabutaza Basketball Classic & Reunion.
- The dress code of our night events of our 2026 Rwabutaza Basketball Classic & Reunion.
To attend our event, please RSVP by sending your full name, names of your primary school, O-level and A-level secondary schools, and your corresponding graduation class years to +1.614.962.3718, so as to have your name registered in our RSVP guest list.
We are looking forward to meeting you and reuniting on the 2026 Memorial Day Holiday Weekend, May 22-25, 2026, in Columbus, Ohio. Welcome! Karibu!
Organizing Team,
2026 Rwabutaza Basketball Classic & Reunion.
Event A: The Teams’ media Session & Reunion Meet & Greet
| Start Time | End Time | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6:00 pm | 7:00 pm | Registration and Check-In | All attendees arrive at the venue, register and check in at the registration desk. VIP guests enter the VIP Meet & Greet Cocktail Hour while all others wait in the lobby for a 7:00 General Meet & Greet start time. |
| 6:00 pm | 7:00 pm | VIP Meet & Greet Cocktail Hour | VIP guests (The Guest of Honor, Athletes, Sponsors, Donors, VIP ticket holders and Select Tanzanian Community Leaders) meet and greet. Drinks and light refreshments will be served for FREE. |
| 7:00 pm | 11:00 pm | General Meet & Greet | All attendees meet and greet while enjoying light refreshments. A variety of beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, will be SOLD and SERVED by the venue as required by the state liquor license compliance requirements. Food will also be SOLD and SERVED by the venue as required by the food license compliance requirements. |
| 7:00 pm | 7:15 pm | Welcome Remarks | An organizer, a notable alumnus or an event host will give a brief welcome remark to officially kick off the weekend’s events. |
| 7:15 pm | 11:00 pm | DJ's Music, Networking, Photo Shoot & Event Docu-Series Video Shoot | All attendees meet, mingle and network until the 11:00 pm close. Event pictures and video will be taken for the production of a docu-series. Next day events start early with our 9:00 am soup breakfast, tail-gating at the parking lot of our basketball venue. All attendees are encouraged to rest well and wake up early in time for our 9:00 am soup breakfast and our 10:00 am Saturday morning men's basketball semi-finals. |
Full Events Program – The 2026 Rwabutaza Basketball Classic & Reunion
| Event Date | Event Time | Event | Early Bird Ticket (Purchased Before April 15, 2026) | Regular Ticket (Purchased April 15-May 21, 2026) | Weekend Ticket (Purchased May 22-25, 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, May 22, 2026 | 6:00 pm - 11:00 pm | Event A: Teams' Media Day & The Reunion's Meet & Greet | $20.00 | $30.00 | Sales Closed |
| Saturday, May 23, 2026 | 11:00 am - 3:00 pm | Event B: The Basketball Championship Semi-Finals | Free | Free | Free |
| Saturday, May 23, 2026 | 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm | Event C: The Reunion Nyama Choma (Meal Ticket) | $25.00 | $30.00 | Sales Closed |
| Saturday, May 23, 2026 | 10:00 pm - 2:00 am | Event D: The All-White Reunion Night (Regular Admission) | $40.00 | $50.00 | Sales Closed |
| Saturday, May 23, 2026 | 10:00 pm - 2:00 am | Event D-VIP: The All-White Reunion Night (VIP) | $800.00 (Up to 6 guests) | $900.00 (Up to 6 guests) | Sales Closed |
| Sunday, May 24, 2026 | 11:00 am - 3:00 pm | Event E: The Basketball Championship Finals | Free | Free | Free |
| Sunday, May 24, 2026 | 6:00 pm - 2:00 am | Event F: The 1st Annual Rwabutazas Awards & Reunion Ball (Regular Admission) | $40.00 | $50.00 | Sales Closed |
| Sunday, May 24, 2026 | 6:00 pm - 2:00 am | Event F-VIP: The 1st Annual Rwabutazas Awards & Reunion Ball (VIP Admission) | $800.00 (Up to 6 guests) | $900.00 (Up to 6 guests) | Sales Closed |
1. Select the events that you would like to attend.
2. Find their corresponding ticket prices and add them to find the total sum of all tickets.
3. Send the payment of the total sum of all tickets via Zelle to 614.962.3718 (Rwabutaza, Inc).
4. Submit your full name and events you purchased via WhatsApp text or regular text to 614.962.3718, so that your full name can be entered in our Event Entrance Guest Book.
VIP TICKETS:
Saturday/Sunday Night VIP Ticket Features:
* Price: $800 non-refundable, with a 25% non-refundable deposit required to book.
* Admission tickets to the VIP reception, up to 6 guests.
* Admission tickets to the general reception, up to 6 guests.
* Entry: Skip-The-Line.
* Table: A reserved VIP table in a preferred section with prioritized seating.
* Drinks: 1 bottle of select liquor, plus a select soft drink chaser.
Thank You Sponsors!
| Sponsor | Industry | Point of Contact | Sponsorship Package |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Brighter Living LLC | Health Care | Ms. Ummy Mbega | Bronze |
| Gracious Holding, LLC | Life Coaching | Ms. Grace Kambira | Bronze |
| Wano | Media | Mr. Eilmer Bahri | Bronze |